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.
Published: 2022-01-28
Score: 7.8 High
EPSS: 94.9% High
KEV: Yes
AI Analysis

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Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

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Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-2899-1 policykit-1 security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-5059-1 policykit-1 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-5252-1 PolicyKit vulnerability
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-5252-2 PolicyKit vulnerability
History

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 02:30:00 +0200


Tue, 21 Oct 2025 22:30:00 +0200


Tue, 21 Oct 2025 21:30:00 +0200


Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:45:00 +0200

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics epss

{'score': 0.8831}

epss

{'score': 0.88697}


Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0100


Tue, 05 Nov 2024 21:00:00 +0100

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_hyperconverged_appliance:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Starwindsoftware starwind Hyperconverged Appliance

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 17:15:00 +0100

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics kev

{'dateAdded': '2022-06-27'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'active', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Wed, 14 Aug 2024 03:00:00 +0200

Type Values Removed Values Added
References

Subscriptions

Canonical Ubuntu Linux
Oracle Http Server Zfs Storage Appliance Kit
Polkit Project Polkit
Redhat Enterprise Linux Enterprise Linux Desktop Enterprise Linux Eus Enterprise Linux For Ibm Z Systems Enterprise Linux For Ibm Z Systems Eus Enterprise Linux For Power Big Endian Enterprise Linux For Power Little Endian Enterprise Linux For Power Little Endian Eus Enterprise Linux For Scientific Computing Enterprise Linux Server Enterprise Linux Server Aus Enterprise Linux Server Eus Enterprise Linux Server Tus Enterprise Linux Server Update Services For Sap Solutions Enterprise Linux Workstation Rhel Aus Rhel E4s Rhel Els Rhel Eus Rhel Tus Rhev Hypervisor
Siemens Scalance Lpe9403 Scalance Lpe9403 Firmware Sinumerik Edge
Starwindsoftware Command Center Starwind Virtual San
Suse Enterprise Storage Linux Enterprise Desktop Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing Linux Enterprise Server Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension Manager Proxy Manager Server
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: redhat

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-15T03:55:29.140Z

Reserved: 2021-11-29T00:00:00.000Z

Link: CVE-2021-4034

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2024-09-23T18:05:54.355Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2022-01-28T20:15:12.193

Modified: 2026-08-15T04:17:57.927

Link: CVE-2021-4034

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2022-01-25T17:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2021-4034 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses