CVE-2021-35213

Guest-to-Administrator escalation via unprotected SaveUserSetting endpoint

Published Aug 31, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Improper access control in SolarWinds Platform 2020.2.5 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to escalate from Guest to Administrator. The SaveUserSetting endpoint processes a Guest user's request without enforcing the access control required for administrative settings. A valid Guest session is required, and successful exploitation grants administrative control within the platform.

CVSS severity8.9
High
EPSS probability3.37%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper access control in SolarWinds Platform 2020.2.5 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to escalate from Guest to Administrator. The SaveUserSetting endpoint processes a Guest user's request without enforcing the access control required for administrative settings. A valid Guest session is required, and successful exploitation grants administrative control within the platform.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-35213
Published
Aug 31, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
SolarWinds
Product
SolarWinds Platform
Classifications
CWE-284, T1098
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 31, 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=2020.2.5 and previous versions <2020.2.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

SolarWinds · SolarWinds Platformversion=2020.2.5 and previous versions <2020.2.5

Published CVSS scores

8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.9SolarWindsCVSS:3.0/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
9.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A: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.

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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1098Account Manipulation

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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