CVE-2021-40987
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 arbitrary command execution vulnerability was discovered in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager version(s): ClearPass Policy Manager 6.10.x prior to 6.10.2 - - ClearPass Policy Manager 6.9.x prior to 6.9.7-HF1 - - ClearPass Policy Manager 6.8.x prior to 6.8.9-HF1. Aruba has released patches for ClearPass Policy Manager that address this security vulnerability.
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 remote arbitrary command execution vulnerability exists in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager. This is a pre-authentication RCE allowing remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system. The vulnerability affects multiple version branches (6.10.x, 6.9.x, 6.8.x) prior to their respective patched releases.
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>= 6.8.0, < 6.8.9>= 6.9.0, < 6.9.7>= 6.10.0, < 6.10.2= 6.8.9= 6.9.7CVSS 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.
-
Identify ClearPass Policy Manager versionAccess the ClearPass web interface or CLI and check the software version. From the CLI: show version or show system info. From web UI: usually visible in the login page footer or under Administration > Server Manager > Server Configuration.Affected if The installed version is 6.8.0 through 6.8.9, 6.9.0 through 6.9.7, 6.10.0 through 6.10.1, or specifically 6.8.9 or 6.9.7 (these exact versions are also affected).
-
Confirm ClearPass Policy Manager is exposedDetermine if the ClearPass Policy Manager web interface (HTTPS port 443 or HTTP port 80) is reachable from untrusted networks or the internet.Affected if ClearPass management interface is accessible from untrusted networks without VPN or firewall restrictions.
-
Check for unauthorized access indicatorsReview ClearPass logs for suspicious requests, especially those containing unusual characters or patterns in URL parameters. Check /var/log/audit/ and /var/log/httpd/ directories for anomalies. Look for new administrative accounts or modified authentication settings.Affected if Log evidence shows unusual requests targeting the authentication endpoint or unexpected administrative changes.
You are affected if ClearPass Policy Manager is accessible and the installed version falls within 6.8.0-6.8.9, 6.9.0-6.9.7, 6.10.0-6.10.1, or is exactly 6.8.9 or 6.9.7.
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.
dbcve · scoped6.8.96.9.76.10.2
Apply the vendor-released patches: upgrade to ClearPass Policy Manager 6.10.2, 6.9.7-HF1, or 6.8.9-HF1 depending on the version branch in use. Prioritize patching given the high CVSS score and public exploit potential for command execution vulnerabilities.
6.10.2, 6.9.7-HF1, or 6.8.9-HF1 (depending on your major version branch)
- Identify the currently installed ClearPass Policy Manager version using the Web UI or CLI
- For version 6.10.x: Upgrade to version 6.10.2 or later
- For version 6.9.x: Upgrade to version 6.9.7-HF1 or later
- For version 6.8.x: Upgrade to version 6.8.9-HF1 or later
- Download the appropriate upgrade package from the Aruba support portal (https://asp.arubanetworks.com)
- Before upgrading, take a complete backup of the ClearPass configuration
- Follow Aruba's upgrade procedure documented in the ClearPass Migration Guide
- After upgrade, verify the ClearPass services are running correctly
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-40987 — 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-2021-40987 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