CVE-2021-3187

Local root execution via installer file permissions

Published Dec 11, 2023 · Updated May 27, 2025

Local privilege escalation in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Mac before 5.7 allows local users to execute scripts as root. Two PMfM installer files receive incorrect permissions, allowing a malicious script launched from a temporary directory during installation to run with root privileges. Exploitation requires an authenticated, unprivileged account and installation on macOS before 10.15.5, or on Mojave or High Sierra without Security Update 2020-003; later macOS releases are unaffected.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.64%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in BeyondTrust Privilege Management for Mac before 5.7 allows local users to execute scripts as root. Two PMfM installer files receive incorrect permissions, allowing a malicious script launched from a temporary directory during installation to run with root privileges. Exploitation requires an authenticated, unprivileged account and installation on macOS before 10.15.5, or on Mojave or High Sierra without Security Update 2020-003; later macOS releases are unaffected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-3187
Published
Dec 11, 2023
Updated
May 27, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-276, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 11, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 27, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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