« Back to list

CVE-2021-3560

Status: AnalyzedHigh (7.8)⚠ Active exploitation

It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

CVSS

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

CISA KEV — actively exploited

🎯 ATT&CK techniques

How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.

Vulnerabilidad de escalada de privilegios local (AV:L, PR:L) que permite bypass de verificación de credenciales en polkit para obtener acceso root. Facilita creación de cuentas administrativas (T1078) y ejecución de comandos privilegiados (T1059).

Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.

🛡️ ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques

Affected technologies (6)

CWEs

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2021-3560",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "id": "CVE-2021-3560",
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "active"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "total"
            }
          ],
          "version": "2.0.3",
          "timestamp": "2025-01-29T21:24:12.585039Z"
        }
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 7.2,
          "accessVector": "LOCAL",
          "vectorString": "AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "COMPLETE",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "COMPLETE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "COMPLETE"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 10,
        "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
    ],
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 7.8,
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "impactScore": 5.9,
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.8
      },
      {
        "type": "Secondary",
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "cvssData": {
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "version": "3.1",
          "baseScore": 7.8,
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
          "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "impactScore": 5.9,
        "exploitabilityScore": 1.8
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "secalert@redhat.com",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "polkit",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "polkit 0.119"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2022-02-16T19:15:08.450",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Bypass.html",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "VDB Entry"
      ],
      "source": "secalert@redhat.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-Service.html",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "VDB Entry"
      ],
      "source": "secalert@redhat.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1961710",
      "tags": [
        "Issue Tracking",
        "Patch",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "secalert@redhat.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.blog/2021-06-10-privilege-escalation-polkit-root-on-linux-with-bug/",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "secalert@redhat.com"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Bypass.html",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "VDB Entry"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-Service.html",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "VDB Entry"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1961710",
      "tags": [
        "Issue Tracking",
        "Patch",
        "Vendor Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.blog/2021-06-10-privilege-escalation-polkit-root-on-linux-with-bug/",
      "tags": [
        "Exploit",
        "Third Party Advisory"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-3560",
      "tags": [
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Secondary",
      "source": "secalert@redhat.com",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-863"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-754"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "Se ha detectado que polkit podía ser engañado para omitir las comprobaciones de credenciales para las peticiones de D-Bus, elevando los privilegios del solicitante al usuario root. Este fallo podría ser usado por un atacante local no privilegiado para, por ejemplo, crear un nuevo administrador local. La mayor amenaza de esta vulnerabilidad es para la confidencialidad e integridad de los datos, así como para la disponibilidad del sistema"
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-17T04:05:20.767",
  "cisaActionDue": "2023-06-02",
  "cisaExploitAdd": "2023-05-12",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "771AB1EA-D17C-4DFC-9A97-B197F1771818",
              "versionEndExcluding": "0.119"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "FA6FEEC2-9F11-4643-8827-749718254FED"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "8E442013-EBF8-44F2-AAAA-B23816F3230E"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:redhat:virtualization:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "6BBD7A51-0590-4DDF-8249-5AFA8D645CB6"
            },
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:redhat:virtualization_host:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "BB28F9AF-3D06-4532-B397-96D7E4792503"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        },
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": false,
              "matchCriteriaId": "F4CFF558-3C47-480D-A2F0-BABF26042943"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ],
      "operator": "AND"
    },
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:redhat:openshift_container_platform:4.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "14CF53D2-B585-4EA5-8F18-21BC9ECBB4B6"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        },
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": false,
              "matchCriteriaId": "142AD0DD-4CF3-4D74-9442-459CE3347E3A"
            },
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": false,
              "matchCriteriaId": "F4CFF558-3C47-480D-A2F0-BABF26042943"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ],
      "operator": "AND"
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "secalert@redhat.com",
  "cisaRequiredAction": "Apply updates per vendor instructions.",
  "cisaVulnerabilityName": "Red Hat Polkit Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability"
}