CVE-2021-22893
Confirmed PUBLISHEDPulse Connect Secure 9.0R3/9.1R1 and higher is vulnerable to an authentication bypass vulnerability exposed by the Windows File Share Browser and...
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
Pulse Connect Secure 9.0R3/9.1R1 and higher is vulnerable to an authentication bypass vulnerability exposed by the Windows File Share Browser and Pulse Secure Collaboration features of Pulse Connect Secure that can allow an unauthenticated user to perform remote arbitrary code execution on the Pulse Connect Secure gateway. This vulnerability has been exploited in the wild.
- CVE Published
- Apr 23, 2021
- Exploitation Reported
- Nov 03, 2021
- CVSS
- 10.0 Critical
- EPSS
- —
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| n/a |
Pulse Connect Secure
|
PCS 9.0R3 or above, PCS 9.1R1 and above |
Affected |
CVE References
- kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44784 kb.pulsesecure.net · CVE Record https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44784/
- blog.pulsesecure.net/pulse-connect-secure-security-update blog.pulsesecure.net · CVE Record https://blog.pulsesecure.net/pulse-connect-secure-security-update/
- fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2021/04/suspected-apt-a... fireeye.com · CVE Record https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2021/04/suspected-apt-ac...
- kb.cert.org/vuls/id/213092 kb.cert.org · CVE Record https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/213092
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-11-03 00:00 UTC |
No detection artifacts or sensor request patterns are available for this CVE yet.
Check back as sensor telemetry and scanner integrations are updated.
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2021-11-03 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Used in malware
Recorded 2021-11-03 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2021-04-21 09:48:57 UTC · GitHub
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Improper Authentication
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2021-10-03 21:46:58 UTC · 7 stars
Proof On Concept — Pulse Secure CVE-2021-22893
github · Created 2021-04-21 14:39:42 UTC · 0 stars
Pulse Connect Secure RCE Vulnerability (CVE-2021-22893)
github · Created 2021-04-21 09:48:57 UTC · 47 stars
DO NOT RUN THIS.
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
00:00 UTC over 4 years ago00:00 UTC · over 4 years ago
First public exploitation report
Exploit observed in malware
-
16:29 UTC about 5 years ago16:29 UTC · about 5 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
09:48 UTC over 5 years ago09:48 UTC · over 5 years ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
00:00 UTC over 5 years ago00:00 UTC · over 5 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2021-22893
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2021-22893",
"title": "Pulse Connect Secure 9.0R3/9.1R1 and higher is vulnerable to an authenticatio...",
"affected_vendor": "Pulse Secure",
"affected_product": "Pulse Connect Secure",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 10.0,
"epss_score": null,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}