CVE-2021-4034

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.
References
Link Resource
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001 Mitigation Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 Issue Tracking Patch
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html Patch Third Party Advisory
https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt Exploit Mitigation Third Party Advisory
https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ Exploit Third Party Advisory
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564 Third Party Advisory
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html Exploit Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001 Mitigation Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869 Issue Tracking Patch
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683 Patch
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html Patch Third Party Advisory
https://www.qualys.com/2022/01/25/cve-2021-4034/pwnkit.txt Exploit Mitigation Third Party Advisory
https://www.secpod.com/blog/local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability-in-major-linux-distributions-cve-2021-4034/ Exploit Third Party Advisory
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/ Third Party Advisory
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564 Third Party Advisory
https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/pwnkit-pkexec-lpe-cve-2021-4034 Exploit Third Party Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-4034 US Government Resource
Configurations

Configuration 1 (hide)

cpe:2.3:a:polkit_project:polkit:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 2 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions:8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 3 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:14.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:21.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 4 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:suse:enterprise_storage:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:linux_enterprise_high_performance_computing:15.0:sp2:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:manager_proxy:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:suse:manager_server:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:15:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:15:sp2:*:*:*:-:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:15:sp2:*:*:*:sap:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_workstation_extension:12:sp5:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 5 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:oracle:http_server:12.2.1.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:http_server:12.2.1.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:zfs_storage_appliance_kit:8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 6 (hide)

cpe:2.3:a:siemens:sinumerik_edge:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 7 (hide)

AND
cpe:2.3:o:siemens:scalance_lpe9403_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:h:siemens:scalance_lpe9403:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Configuration 8 (hide)

OR cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:command_center:1.0:update3_build5871:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san:v8:build14338:*:*:*:*:*:*

History

06 Nov 2025, 14:50

Type Values Removed Values Added
References () https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-4034 - () https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-4034 - US Government Resource

Information

Published : 2022-01-28 20:15

Updated : 2025-11-06 14:50


NVD link : CVE-2021-4034

Mitre link : CVE-2021-4034

CVE.ORG link : CVE-2021-4034


JSON object : View

Products Affected

redhat

  • enterprise_linux
  • enterprise_linux_desktop
  • enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing
  • enterprise_linux_eus
  • enterprise_linux_server_eus
  • enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian
  • enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian
  • enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions
  • enterprise_linux_server_tus
  • enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus
  • enterprise_linux_server
  • enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus
  • enterprise_linux_server_aus
  • enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems
  • enterprise_linux_workstation

suse

  • linux_enterprise_high_performance_computing
  • manager_proxy
  • linux_enterprise_server
  • linux_enterprise_desktop
  • enterprise_storage
  • manager_server
  • linux_enterprise_workstation_extension

starwindsoftware

  • command_center
  • starwind_virtual_san

canonical

  • ubuntu_linux

siemens

  • scalance_lpe9403
  • scalance_lpe9403_firmware
  • sinumerik_edge

oracle

  • zfs_storage_appliance_kit
  • http_server

polkit_project

  • polkit
CWE
CWE-787

Out-of-bounds Write

CWE-125

Out-of-bounds Read