dbcve.org
Netiq Advanced AuthenticationApplication · Microfocus

CVE-2021-38121

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.3 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges 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
Insufficient or weak TLS protocol version identified in Advance authentication client server communication when specific service is accessed between devices.  This issue affects NetIQ Advance Authentication versions before 6.3.5.1

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

Weak or insufficient TLS protocol versions (likely TLS 1.0/1.1) are accepted in NetIQ Advance Authentication client-server communications, allowing potential man-in-the-middle attacks or data interception during authentication processes.

MitigationUpgrade to NetIQ Advance Authentication version 6.3.5.1 or later which enforces stronger TLS protocols, or disable weak TLS protocol versions in the server configuration to require TLS 1.2+.

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
Netiq Advanced AuthenticationApplication
Affected:< 6.3= 6.3

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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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. Check installed NetIQ Advance Authentication version
    Locate the product installation directory and check the version file, or use the product's version information tool (typically available in the admin console or via 'arcconf' or similar command-line tool included with the product). Compare this version number against the affected ranges: versions < 6.3 and version = 6.3.
    Affected if Installed version is less than 6.3 or equals exactly 6.3
  2. Inspect server TLS protocol settings
    On the server hosting NetIQ Advance Authentication, check the Windows TLS registry keys at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols (for TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1), or use PowerShell 'Get-ItemProperty' cmdlets to query whether these legacy protocols are enabled at the system or application level.
    Affected if TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 are enabled in the SCHANNEL settings or operating system TLS configuration
  3. Review product-specific TLS configuration
    Examine the NetIQ Advance Authentication server configuration files (commonly found in the config or etc subdirectory of the installation path) for settings controlling accepted TLS versions. Look for parameters that specify minimum or maximum TLS protocol versions.
    Affected if Configuration explicitly allows or does not restrict TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 as acceptable protocols
  4. Verify TLS acceptance via network capture
    Capture network traffic between a client and the NetIQ Advance Authentication server during an authentication handshake using a tool like Wireshark. Inspect the TLS ClientHello message to confirm which protocol versions the server accepts and negotiates.
    Affected if Server negotiates or accepts TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 connections

You are affected if the installed NetIQ Advance Authentication version is < 6.3 or = 6.3, AND the server or product is configured to accept TLS 1.0 or TLS 1.1 connections.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.3 or later
Fixed in 6.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to NetIQ Advance Authentication version 6.3.5.1 or later which enforces stronger TLS protocols, or disable weak TLS protocol versions in the server configuration to require TLS 1.2+.

Recommended fix High confidence

NetIQ Advanced Authentication 6.3.5.1 or later

  1. Identify the current installed version of NetIQ Advanced Authentication
  2. Backup the current configuration and data
  3. Download NetIQ Advanced Authentication version 6.3.5.1 or later from the official NetIQ support portal
  4. Follow NetIQ's standard upgrade documentation for your deployment type (standalone, cluster, etc.)
  5. Verify the upgrade completed successfully
  6. Confirm TLS protocol configuration uses strong versions (TLS 1.2 or higher) in the authentication server settings
Caveat Review NetIQ 6.3.5.x release notes for any configuration or behavioral changes from your current version

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

Fix this in Netiq Advanced Authentication Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.

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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-2021-38121 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