CVE-2021-42711
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 · uneditedBarracuda Network Access Client before 5.2.2 creates a Temporary File in a Directory with Insecure Permissions. This file is executed with SYSTEM privileges when an unprivileged user performs a repair operation.
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 confidenceBarracuda Network Access Client before version 5.2.2 creates a temporary file in a directory with insecure permissions. When an unprivileged user initiates a repair operation, the application executes this temp file with SYSTEM-level privileges, enabling local privilege escalation from a standard user to full system control.
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< 5.2.2CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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.
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Verify Barracuda Network Access Client is installedCheck the program files directory or use system inventory tools to find Barracuda Network Access Client installationAffected if The application is present on the system
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Determine installed version numberOpen the application or check its executable properties to find the version, then compare to 5.2.2Affected if Version is lower than 5.2.2 (for example 5.2.1, 5.2.0, or earlier)
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Locate temporary files created during repair operationsRun the repair function of the application and inspect the temporary directory where the app stores temp files during this operationAffected if Temp files exist in a directory with weak permissions (such as world-writable or accessible to all users)
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Verify repair operation accessibility for standard usersAttempt to initiate a repair operation while logged in as a non-administrator userAffected if Unprivileged users can trigger the repair operation that executes temporary files
A user is affected if Barracuda Network Access Client version is below 5.2.2 and the repair operation can be initiated by a standard user who can then exploit the insecurely permissioned temp file for privilege escalation.
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 · scoped5.2.2
Upgrade Barracuda Network Access Client to version 5.2.2 or later to obtain the patch that addresses insecure temporary file creation and improper permission handling during repair operations.
Barracuda Network Access Client 5.2.2
- Identify the current installed version of Barracuda Network Access Client
- Download Barracuda Network Access Client version 5.2.2 or later from the official Barracuda Networks website or trusted distribution channel
- Backup the current configuration and any critical data
- Uninstall the current version of Barracuda Network Access Client
- Install version 5.2.2 or later of Barracuda Network Access Client
- Verify the installation was successful and the version is correct
- Test that the repair operation no longer creates insecure temporary files with elevated privileges
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-2021-42711 — 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-2021-42711 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data