CVE-2021-27608

Privilege escalation via unquoted executable registration

Published Apr 14, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Unquoted executable path handling in SAP SE SAP Setup before 9.0 allows local users with high privileges to escalate privileges. During installation, SAP Setup registers an executable without quoting its path, allowing Windows path parsing to select an attacker-placed executable. Exploitation requires local high-privilege access and a writable earlier path component; successful execution can fully compromise the host.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Unquoted executable path handling in SAP SE SAP Setup before 9.0 allows local users with high privileges to escalate privileges. During installation, SAP Setup registers an executable without quoting its path, allowing Windows path parsing to select an attacker-placed executable. Exploitation requires local high-privilege access and a writable earlier path component; successful execution can fully compromise the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-27608
Published
Apr 14, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
SAP SE
Product
SAP Setup
Classifications
CWE-428, T1574.009
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 14, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 9.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

SAP SE · SAP Setupversion=< 9.0

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5SAP SECVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.4NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-428Unquoted Search Path or Element
T1574.009Path Interception by Unquoted Path

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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