CVE-2021-37424Network attack vector

Domain administrator takeover via whitespace-stripped usernames

Published Sep 21, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Account takeover in ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus before 6112 allows remote attackers to seize a domain administrator account. The username-handling code strips leading whitespace, so a machine account named with a leading space before Administrator resolves as the existing Administrator account. An attacker able to create that machine account can alter the administrator's enrollment data, reset its password, and compromise the Active Directory domain.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability4.77%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Account takeover in ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus before 6112 allows remote attackers to seize a domain administrator account. The username-handling code strips leading whitespace, so a machine account named with a leading space before Administrator resolves as the existing Administrator account. An attacker able to create that machine account can alter the administrator's enrollment data, reset its password, and compromise the Active Directory domain.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-37424
Published
Sep 21, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
T1136.002
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Sep 21, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
9.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.

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No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1136.002Create Account: Domain Account

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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