Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in OpenSSH Affecting Multiple Versions
CVE-2021-41617

7HIGH

Key Information:

Vendor

OpenBSD
Status
Openssh
Vendor
CVE Published:
26 September 2021

What is CVE-2021-41617?

The sshd component of OpenSSH versions 6.2 through 8.x, prior to 8.8, contains a significant vulnerability that can lead to privilege escalation. This issue arises when specific non-default configurations are applied, leading to supplemental groups not being initialized properly. If the configuration allows the execution of AuthorizedKeysCommand or AuthorizedPrincipalsCommand as a different user, these commands may inherit group privileges from the sshd process, thereby exposing the system to unauthorized access and control. Users are advised to review their configurations and update to the latest version to mitigate potential risks.

References

https://www.openssh.com/security.html
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/09/26/1
https://www.openssh.com/txt/release-8.8

CVSS V3.1

Score:
7
Severity:
HIGH
Confidentiality:
High
Integrity:
High
Availability:
High
Attack Vector:
Local
Attack Complexity:
High
Privileges Required:
Low
User Interaction:
None
Scope:
Unchanged

Timeline

  • Vulnerability published

  • Vulnerability Reserved

.