CVE-2021-36285

NVMe password brute force via attempt-limit bypass

Published Sep 28, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Improper attempt limiting in Dell Client Platform BIOS before 1.7.0 allows local users to brute-force NVMe passwords. The BIOS fails to enforce its excessive-attempt mitigation for NVMe passwords, permitting repeated guesses after the intended limit. Exploitation requires local administrator privileges and can expose data protected by an NVMe drive password.

CVSS severity5.7
Medium
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

Improper attempt limiting in Dell Client Platform BIOS before 1.7.0 allows local users to brute-force NVMe passwords. The BIOS fails to enforce its excessive-attempt mitigation for NVMe passwords, permitting repeated guesses after the intended limit. Exploitation requires local administrator privileges and can expose data protected by an NVMe drive password.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-36285
Published
Sep 28, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
Dell
Product
Dell Client Platform BIOS
Classifications
CWE-307, T1110
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 28, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 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=unspecified <1.7.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Dell · Dell Client Platform BIOSversion=unspecified <1.7.0

Published CVSS scores

2.1NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
4.4NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
5.7DellCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L

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

CWE-307Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
T1110Brute Force

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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