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Backup ExecApplication · Veritas

CVE-2024-33671

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-26
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 23.0 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
An issue was discovered in Veritas Backup Exec before 22.2 HotFix 917391. The Backup Exec Deduplication Multi-threaded Streaming Agent can be leveraged to perform arbitrary file deletion on protected files.

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

An authenticated vulnerability in Veritas Backup Exec's Deduplication Multi-threaded Streaming Agent (versions prior to 22.2 HotFix 917391) allows attackers to delete arbitrary files on the system, potentially removing protected backup files or system files.

MitigationApply HotFix 917391 to Backup Exec version 22.2 or upgrade to a later patched version. Verify the deduplication agent permissions and restrict access to trusted administrators only.

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
Backup ExecApplication
Affected:>= 21.0, < 23.0

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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. Identify Backup Exec installation path and version
    Locate the Backup Exec installation (typically in C:\Program Files\Veritas\Backup Exec\) and check the version. In the installation directory, look for a file named 'beknow.exe' or check the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Veritas\Backup Exec\Setup to find the installed version number.
    Affected if The installed version is 21.0 or higher but lower than 23.0, meaning it falls within the vulnerable range.
  2. Confirm deduplication agent is installed
    Check if the Deduplication Multi-threaded Streaming Agent component is installed. Look for the 'BEDeduplicationEngine.exe' process or service, or check the Backup Exec administration console under the Agents or Deduplication section to verify the deduplication feature is present.
    Affected if The deduplication agent component is installed and running on the system.
  3. Check if HotFix 917391 is applied
    Review installed updates or hotfixes for Backup Exec 22.2. In the Backup Exec installation directory, look for a file or folder named 'HotFix 917391' or check the Windows Programs and Features list for installed updates. Alternatively, check the Backup Exec logs for mention of this specific hotfix.
    Affected if HotFix 917391 is NOT installed on Backup Exec 22.2, or the version is earlier than 22.2 without any equivalent security patch.

A system is affected if Veritas Backup Exec version 21.0 through 22.2 (without HotFix 917391) is installed and the Deduplication Multi-threaded Streaming Agent component is present and enabled.

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 23.0 or later
Fixed in 23.0
Interim mitigation

Apply HotFix 917391 to Backup Exec version 22.2 or upgrade to a later patched version. Verify the deduplication agent permissions and restrict access to trusted administrators only.

Recommended fix High confidence

Backup Exec 23.0 or later

  1. Identify the current Backup Exec version installed (via About Backup Exec in the console)
  2. Confirm the version is >= 21.0 and < 23.0 to confirm vulnerability
  3. Download Backup Exec version 23.0 or later from Veritas Support website (www.veritas.com/support)
  4. Review Veritas Backup Exec 23.0 Release Notes for upgrade prerequisites and compatibility requirements
  5. Create a full backup of the Backup Exec database and configuration
  6. Stop all Backup Exec services before upgrading
  7. Run the Backup Exec 23.0 installer and follow the upgrade wizard prompts
  8. After upgrade completes, start Backup Exec services
Caveat Review compatibility matrices for Backup Exec 23.0 with your operating system and connected agents; some legacy agent support may have changed in major version upgrades

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

Fix this in Backup Exec Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2024-33671 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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