dbcve.org
Clearpass Policy ManagerApplication · Arubanetworks

CVE-2021-40988

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.8.9 / 6.9.7 or later.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
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 remote directory traversal 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 confidence

A remote directory traversal vulnerability exists in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager web interface. An authenticated attacker can manipulate file path inputs to access files outside the web root directory, potentially reading sensitive system files.

MitigationApply the vendor-released patches (6.10.2, 6.9.7-HF1, or 6.8.9-HF1 depending on your version branch) to address the directory traversal vulnerability.

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
Clearpass Policy ManagerApplication
Affected:>= 6.8.0, < 6.8.9>= 6.9.0, < 6.9.7>= 6.10.0, < 6.10.2= 6.8.9= 6.9.7

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
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 checks

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

  1. Confirm Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager is installed
    Locate the ClearPass installation by checking for the service listening on port 443 or 8080, or look for the installation directory typically at /opt_clearpass or C:\Program Files\Aruba\ClearPass. On the CLI, run 'show version' or check /etc ClearPass-version file if accessible.
    Affected if The product Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager is not found on the system.
  2. Determine the installed ClearPass version
    Access the ClearPass CLI or admin web interface and run 'show version' or navigate to Administration > About in the GUI. Alternatively, check the file /etc_clearpass-version on the appliance filesystem.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of these ranges: 6.8.0 through 6.8.9, 6.9.0 through 6.9.7, 6.10.0 through 6.10.2, or specifically versions 6.8.9 or 6.9.7.
  3. Verify the web interface is accessible
    Confirm the ClearPass Policy Manager web interface (HTTP/HTTPS on port 443 or 8080) is reachable and responding. This is required since the vulnerability exists in the web interface.
    Affected if The web interface is not accessible or not running.
  4. Confirm authentication is configured
    Check if local or remote authentication (RADIUS, TACACS+, LDAP) is enabled in ClearPass under Administration > Authentication Methods. The vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker.
    Affected if No authentication methods are configured and no users can log in to the web interface.

The environment is affected if Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager is running with a web interface accessible, authentication is enabled, and the installed version is any of 6.8.0-6.8.9, 6.9.0-6.9.7, or 6.10.0-6.10.2.

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 6.8.9 / 6.9.7 / 6.10.2 or later
Fixed in 6.8.96.9.76.10.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-released patches (6.10.2, 6.9.7-HF1, or 6.8.9-HF1 depending on your version branch) to address the directory traversal vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

ClearPass Policy Manager 6.8.9-HF1 (for 6.8.x), 6.9.7-HF1 (for 6.9.x), or 6.10.2 (for 6.10.x)

  1. Identify your current ClearPass Policy Manager version from the Administration > Server Manager > Server Information page
  2. For version 6.8.x: Upgrade to ClearPass Policy Manager 6.8.9-HF1 or later
  3. For version 6.9.x: Upgrade to ClearPass Policy Manager 6.9.7-HF1 or later
  4. For version 6.10.x: Upgrade to ClearPass Policy Manager 6.10.2 or later
  5. After upgrade, verify the new version via Administration > Server Manager > Server Information
  6. Review Aruba's release notes for any post-upgrade configuration requirements
Caveat Review Aruba upgrade documentation for compatibility requirements; ensure backup of configuration before upgrading

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

Fix this in Clearpass Policy Manager 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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.

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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-2021-40988 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