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Name
CVE-2021-4034
Source
NVD ( link)Debian ( link)
Description
A local privilege escalation vulnerability was found on polkit's pkexec utility. The pkexec application is a setuid tool designed to allow unprivileged users to run commands as privileged users according predefined policies. The current version of pkexec doesn't handle the calling parameters count correctly and ends trying to execute environment variables as commands. An attacker can leverage this by crafting environment variables in such a way it'll induce pkexec to execute arbitrary code. When successfully executed the attack can cause a local privilege escalation given unprivileged users administrative rights on the target machine.
CWEs
CWE-787 CWE-125
Published Date
Updated Date
Workaround
-
Advisories
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.htmlVDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001Mitigation
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869Issue Tracking
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdfThird Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch
https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txtExploit
https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/Exploit
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/Third Party Advisory
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564Third Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.htmlExploit
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.htmlVDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001Mitigation
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869Issue Tracking
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdfThird Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.htmlPatch
https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txtExploit
https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/Exploit
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/Third Party Advisory
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564Third Party Advisory
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034Exploit
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-4034US Government Resource

Analysis#

Affected Component
Analysis
polkit
Patched

Vulnerability Ratings#

7.8
CVSSv31
7.8
CVSSv31
7.2
CVSSv2
NaN
other

Others affected components#

Name
Project
Project Version
Version
Status
polkit
buildroot
2025.02.x
125
Not Affected
polkit
buildroot
master
126
Not Affected
polkit
yocto
master
127
Not Affected
polkit
yocto
scarthgap
124
Not Affected

Resolved with patches#

polkit (yocto:kirkstone)

#
Title
Author
Resolve
1
pkexec: local privilege escalation (CVE-2021-4034)
Jan Rybar <jrybar@redhat.com>
CVE-2021-4034