CVE-2021-29708

Privilege escalation via exposed GUI pod keys

Published May 25, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Information disclosure in IBM Spectrum Scale CNSA 5.1.0.1 allows local users with GUI pod access to obtain cryptographic keys. IBM states that the GUI pod container exposes sensitive cryptographic keys but does not disclose the storage or access-control error. Access to the GUI pod container is required; the keys permit privileged SSH access to core pods and local privilege escalation.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in IBM Spectrum Scale CNSA 5.1.0.1 allows local users with GUI pod access to obtain cryptographic keys. IBM states that the GUI pod container exposes sensitive cryptographic keys but does not disclose the storage or access-control error. Access to the GUI pod container is required; the keys permit privileged SSH access to core pods and local privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-29708
Published
May 25, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM Spectrum Scale
Classifications
T1552.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 25, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 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=5.1.0.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

IBM · IBM Spectrum Scaleversion=5.1.0.1

Published CVSS scores

6.7IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.8IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

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.

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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

T1552.004Unsecured Credentials: Private Keys

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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