CVE-2021-45417Public exploit

Root privilege escalation via fixed base64 buffer

Published Jan 20, 2022 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

A heap-based buffer overflow in AIDE 0.13 through 0.17.3 allows local users to obtain root privileges via crafted file metadata. The encode_base64 and decode_base64 functions place encoded extended-attribute or ACL data into a fixed 16,384-byte heap buffer without sizing it for the input. Exploitation requires write access to a filesystem supporting sufficiently large metadata and an AIDE build with xattr or POSIX ACL support; a root-run scan then overflows the buffer.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.49%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A heap-based buffer overflow in AIDE 0.13 through 0.17.3 allows local users to obtain root privileges via crafted file metadata. The encode_base64 and decode_base64 functions place encoded extended-attribute or ACL data into a fixed 16,384-byte heap buffer without sizing it for the input. Exploitation requires write access to a filesystem supporting sufficiently large metadata and an AIDE build with xattr or POSIX ACL support; a root-run scan then overflows the buffer.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-45417
Published
Jan 20, 2022
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-787, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 20, 2022CVE 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 vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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