CVE-2021-3560
KEVRed Hat Polkit Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability
Description
Red Hat Polkit contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability through the bypassing of credential checks for D-Bus requests, allowing for privilege escalation.
It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
CVSS 3.1 vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HPublishedFeb 16, 2022
Last modifiedJun 17, 2026
Added to KEVMay 12, 2023
Remediation dueJun 2, 2023
References
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Bypass.htmlThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-Service.htmlThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1961710Issue TrackingPatch
- github.blog/2021-06-10-privilege-escalation-polkit-root-on-linux-with-bug/ExploitThird Party Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-3560US Government Resource
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Risk assessment · High
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 1242 days
- CVSS
- 7.8 HIGH
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 23.7% · top 2% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- CWE-863
Recommended actions
- 1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.