CVE-2021-34996
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 · uneditedThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Commvault CommCell 11.22.22. Although authentication is required to exploit this vulnerability, the existing authentication mechanism can be bypassed. The specific flaw exists within the Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup workflow. By creating a workflow, an attacker can specify an arbitrary command to be executed. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-13889.
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 confidenceA command injection vulnerability exists in the Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup workflow of Commvault CommCell 11.22.22. Although the vendor describes authentication as required, this requirement can be bypassed, allowing authenticated attackers to create malicious workflows that execute arbitrary commands with SYSTEM privileges.
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= 11.22.22CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check installed Commvault CommCell versionLog into the CommCell Console and navigate to the About/Support section, or run the command 'commvault -version' on the CommServer to retrieve the installed version numberAffected if The installed version is exactly 11.22.22 (this is the only affected version listed)
-
Verify Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup workflow existsAccess CommCell Console > Workflows > Browse for 'Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup' workflow, or query the workflow database table for workflow objects with this nameAffected if The Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup workflow is present in the CommCell environment
-
Check workflow execution permissionsNavigate to CommCell Console > Workflows > Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup > Properties > Security, or inspect the workflow ACL configuration to see which users/groups can execute itAffected if The workflow permits execution by unauthenticated users, public/guest accounts, or low-privilege users
-
Test for authentication bypass vulnerabilitySend an HTTP request to the workflow execution API endpoint (typically /webconsole/api/workflow/execute) without providing valid authentication tokens, attempting to trigger Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroupAffected if The workflow can be triggered without valid authentication credentials (response returns success rather than 401/403)
-
Review recent workflow execution logsCheck CommCell logs under WorkflowEngine or Event Viewer for executions of Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup, noting the executing user account and source IP addressesAffected if Workflow executions are logged from unexpected users or IP addresses, especially without corresponding login events
Environment is affected if running CommVault CommCell version 11.22.22 AND the Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup workflow exists AND can be executed without proper authentication or by low-privilege users.
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 dataApply the vendor patch when available; as an immediate workaround, disable or restrict access to the Demo_ExecuteProcessOnGroup workflow and review workflow execution permissions.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,816.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-34996 — 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-2021-34996 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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