CVE-2021-42138

Credential disclosure via weak cache encryption

Published Dec 20, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Information disclosure in Thales SafeNet Authentication Service Windows Logon Agent before 3.4.4 allows local users to recover cached credentials. The credential cache protects stored Windows passwords with encryption whose entropy is too weak to prevent a machine user from recovering the plaintext. Access to the protected Windows host is required, and the exposure can encompass credentials for any or all users on that machine.

CVSS severity7.2
High
EPSS probability0.58%
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 Thales SafeNet Authentication Service Windows Logon Agent before 3.4.4 allows local users to recover cached credentials. The credential cache protects stored Windows passwords with encryption whose entropy is too weak to prevent a machine user from recovering the plaintext. Access to the protected Windows host is required, and the exposure can encompass credentials for any or all users on that machine.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-42138
Published
Dec 20, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Thales Group
Product
SafeNet Authentication Service
Classifications
CWE-331, T1555
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 20, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Windows Logon Agent <3.4.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Thales Group · SafeNet Authentication Serviceversion=Windows Logon Agent <3.4.4

Published CVSS scores

7.2Thales GroupCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
3.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-331Insufficient Entropy
T1555Credentials from Password Stores

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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