{"cve":"CVE-2021-4034","nvd":{"published":"2022-01-28T20:15:12.193","modified":"2026-08-15T04:17:57.927","status":"Analyzed","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.","cvss_v4":null,"cvss_v3":{"version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","score":7.8},"cwes":["CWE-125","CWE-787"],"references":["http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html","http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html","https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001","https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869","https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf"],"products":["canonical:ubuntu_linux","oracle:http_server","oracle:zfs_storage_appliance_kit","polkit_project:polkit","redhat:enterprise_linux","redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop","redhat:enterprise_linux_eus","redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems","redhat:enterprise_linux_for_ibm_z_systems_eus","redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_big_endian","redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian","redhat:enterprise_linux_for_power_little_endian_eus","redhat:enterprise_linux_for_scientific_computing","redhat:enterprise_linux_server","redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus","redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus","redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus","redhat:enterprise_linux_server_update_services_for_sap_solutions","redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation","siemens:scalance_lpe9403_firmware","siemens:sinumerik_edge","starwindsoftware:command_center","starwindsoftware:starwind_virtual_san","suse:enterprise_storage","suse:linux_enterprise_desktop","suse:linux_enterprise_high_performance_computing","suse:linux_enterprise_server","suse:linux_enterprise_workstation_extension","suse:manager_proxy","suse:manager_server"],"source":"nvd","synced_at":"2026-10-19T21:27:20.926095847+00:00"},"epss":{"cve":"CVE-2021-4034","score":0.94921,"percentile":0.9986,"date":"2026-10-31"},"kev":{"cve":"CVE-2021-4034","date_added":"2022-06-27","due_date":"2022-07-18","vendor":"Red Hat","product":"Polkit","known_ransomware":true},"osv":[],"attribution":["This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.","EPSS scores: FIRST Exploit Prediction Scoring System, https://www.first.org/epss","Known exploited vulnerabilities: CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","Package advisories: OSV (https://osv.dev), from the GitHub Advisory Database, PyPA, Go, RustSec and other ecosystem databases, under CC-BY 4.0 or CC0","CVE records: the CVE Program's CVE List (https://www.cve.org), under its terms of use (https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse). CVE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation; this product is not affiliated with the CVE Program."]}