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CVE-2021-27878

8.8, high Known exploited Used in ransomware

Veritas Backup Exec Agent Command Execution Vulnerability

NVD (opens in a new tab) CVE.org (opens in a new tab) CISA KEV catalogue (opens in a new tab)
CVSS
8.8, high high CVSS v3.1
EPSS, next 30 days
24% higher than 97.8% of scored CVEs
Exploitation
Confirmed in the wild
Published
1 Mar 20215 years ago

Known exploited

CISA added this to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog on 7 Apr 2023 and links it to ransomware activity. US federal agencies had to remediate by 28 Apr 2023, a deadline that has passed.

Required action. Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Description

An issue was discovered in Veritas Backup Exec before 21.2. The communication between a client and an Agent requires successful authentication, which is typically completed over a secure TLS communication. However, due to a vulnerability in the SHA Authentication scheme, an attacker is able to gain unauthorized access and complete the authentication process. Subsequently, the client can execute data management protocol commands on the authenticated connection. The attacker could use one of these commands to execute an arbitrary command on the system using system privileges.

Details

Vendor
Veritas
Product
Backup Exec
Weakness
n/a
Status
Analyzed
Updated
17 Jun 2026
Assigner
cve@mitre.org

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

References 3

Exploit code 1

Advisories 1

Other references 1

The kind is read from NVD's tags where present and from the shape of the URL otherwise, so treat it as a hint.

Other Veritas CVEs

Every Veritas CVE we hold

Same vendor in what we hold, not a known link between the flaws.

  • CVE-2021-27876 Veritas Backup Exec Agent File Access Vulnerability KEV EPSS 14% 8.1, high
  • CVE-2021-27877 Veritas Backup Exec Agent Improper Authentication Vulnerability KEV EPSS 65% 9.8, critical

Beyond this page

Is CVE-2021-27878 in your network?

This page tells you how dangerous CVE-2021-27878 is out there. Whether it sits on one of your devices, only a scan of your own network can tell. That is what our systems do, every day, for the companies we protect.

CVE-2021-27878 is in the CISA catalogue of exploited vulnerabilities: attackers are already exploiting it.

  • EXYS7600 OCELOT

    Find it before attackers do

    Ocelot scans your network on a schedule and reports every vulnerability it finds by its CVE identifier, with its CVSS score and how many of your hosts are affected. A finding like CVE-2021-27878 comes with the devices to patch.

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  • EXYS7950 KONDRA

    Detect it if it's exploited

    Until the patch is applied, Kondra monitors your network, events and endpoints in real time. It keeps an inventory of the software installed on every endpoint, and its anomaly detection rules flag what an attacker does once inside.

    Learn more about EXYS7950 KONDRA
Check your exposure

Assembled from the NVD 2.0 API, the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog and FIRST EPSS. Scores are as of our last collection on 17 Oct 2026, not the live upstream state.