CVE-2021-26681
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 · uneditedA remote authenticated command Injection vulnerability was discovered in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager version(s): Prior to 6.9.5, 6.8.8-HF1, 6.7.14-HF1. A vulnerability in the ClearPass CLI could allow remote authenticated users to run arbitrary commands on the underlying host. A successful exploit could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands as root on the underlying operating system leading to complete system compromise.
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 · high confidenceAuthenticated command injection vulnerability in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager CLI allows remote attackers with valid credentials to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands with root privileges. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation in the CLI interface, enabling complete underlying system compromise.
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< 6.7.14>= 6.8.0, < 6.8.7>= 6.9.0, < 6.9.2CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Determine installed ClearPass Policy Manager versionAccess the ClearPass web UI under Maintenance > System > Software or run 'show version' in the CLI. Alternatively, check the /etc/version file or the About page in the administrative interface.Affected if The installed version falls within < 6.7.14, >= 6.8.0 and < 6.8.7, or >= 6.9.0 and < 6.9.2.
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Verify CLI interface is accessibleConfirm that the ClearPass CLI (command-line interface) is reachable. This is typically accessible via SSH on port 22 or through the serial console. Check network exposure settings in Network > Infrastructure > Interfaces.Affected if The CLI interface is exposed and reachable from untrusted networks.
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Identify valid CLI accountsReview user accounts with CLI access privileges under Administration > Users / Administrative Users. Check which accounts have roles permitting CLI command execution.Affected if Any valid user account with CLI access exists in the system, as the vulnerability requires valid credentials for exploitation.
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Check for suspicious CLI activityReview CLI command logs and audit trails. Look for unusual commands or patterns indicating command injection attempts. Use 'show audit-logs' or inspect system logs under /var/log/ for unexpected shell executions.
A user is affected if they are running any version of ClearPass Policy Manager within the vulnerable ranges AND the CLI interface is accessible with valid credentials.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor data6.7.146.8.76.9.2
Upgrade ClearPass Policy Manager to version 6.9.5 or later, or apply the relevant hotfix (6.8.8-HF1 or 6.7.14-HF1) for earlier supported branches. Restrict CLI access to trusted administrative IP addresses and enforce strong authentication policies as compensating controls until patching is completed.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-26681 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-26681 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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
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