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Connect SecureApplication · Ivanti

CVE-2021-22908

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-05-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Windows File Resource Profiles in 9.X allows a remote authenticated user with privileges to browse SMB shares to execute arbitrary code as the root user. As of version 9.1R3, this permission is not enabled by default.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability in Windows File Resource Profiles (9.X) allows authenticated users with SMB share browsing privileges to overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code as the root user. This is a remote authenticated attack requiring SMB access.

MitigationUpgrade to version 9.1R3 or later where the vulnerable permission is disabled by default, or if upgrading is not feasible, disable SMB share browsing permissions for untrusted users.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Connect SecureApplication
Affected:= 9.0= 9.1
Pulse Connect SecureApplication
Affected:= 9.0rx

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed product
    Check if Ivanti Connect Secure or Pulsesecure Pulse Connect Secure is installed on the system. Look for installation directories or check system services for 'Connect Secure' or 'Pulse Connect Secure' services.
    Affected if The system has Ivanti Connect Secure (any version) or Pulse Connect Secure (any version) installed.
  2. Determine the installed version
    Check the version of the installed Ivanti Connect Secure or Pulse Connect Secure. This is typically available in the admin console under System > Status or in the system information, or via the command line interface with 'show version' or similar.
    Affected if The installed version is 9.0, 9.1, or 9.0rx.
  3. Verify if Windows File Resource Profiles is enabled
    Check the admin console under Resources > File Sharing or Configuration > File Resources to see if Windows File Resource Profiles feature is enabled. This may also be checkable via the XML configuration export.
    Affected if Windows File Resource Profiles feature is enabled on the appliance.
  4. Check SMB share browsing configuration
    Navigate to the SMB share browsing settings in the admin console (typically under Resources > File Sharing or User Roles > [role] > File Access). Verify if SMB share browsing permissions are granted.
    Affected if SMB share browsing permissions are granted to users, particularly to untrusted or less privileged user roles.

A user is affected if they have Ivanti Connect Secure versions 9.0 or 9.1, or Pulse Connect Secure version 9.0rx, with Windows File Resource Profiles enabled and SMB share browsing permissions configured.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to version 9.1R3 or later where the vulnerable permission is disabled by default, or if upgrading is not feasible, disable SMB share browsing permissions for untrusted users.

Recommended fix High confidence

9.1R3 or later (latest 9.x or 10.x release)

  1. 1. Identify the current Pulse Connect Secure or Connect Secure version by navigating to System > Configuration > Maintenance > Upgrade/Backup screen
  2. 2. Download the latest stable release from the Pulse Secure support portal (kb.pulsesecure.net) - version 9.1R3 or later is required
  3. 3. Before upgrading, backup the current configuration via System > Configuration > Maintenance > Upgrade/Backup > Backup Configuration
  4. 4. Review the upgrade procedure in the official Pulse Connect Secure Administration Guide
  5. 5. Perform the upgrade using the downloaded installer file
  6. 6. After upgrade, verify the system is functioning correctly and the vulnerability is remediated
  7. 7. If upgrade is not immediately possible, verify that Windows File Resource Profiles functionality is disabled in the admin console under Users > Resource Profiles > Windows File Resource Profiles
Caveat Review release notes for migration considerations between major versions; ensure compatibility with any connected clients or integration components

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Connect Secure Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-22908 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data