Detections
Analytics
CVE-2021-4034
high
Description
A local privilege escalation vulnerability was found on polkit's pkexec utility. The pkexec application is a setuid tool designed to allow unprivileged users to run commands as privileged users according predefined policies. The current version of pkexec doesn't handle the calling parameters count correctly and ends trying to execute environment variables as commands. An attacker can leverage this by crafting environment variables in such a way it'll induce pkexec to execute arbitrary code. When successfully executed the attack can cause a local privilege escalation given unprivileged users administrative rights on the target machine.
References
https://www.suse.com/support/kb/doc/?id=000020564
https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220818-0001/
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-330556.pdf
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166200/Polkit-pkexec-Privilege-Escalation.html
https://thehackernews.com/2026/07/hacker-runs-hermes-ai-agent-unattended.html
https://securelist.com/container-security-typical-issues/119974/
https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/chinese-hackers-murky-genesis-and.html
https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/cl-sta-0969-installs-covert-malware-in.html
https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/infiltration-of-global-telecom-networks/
https://www.edgescan.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2023-Vulnerability-Statistics-Report.pdf
https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa24-317a
https://www.aquasec.com/blog/perfctl-a-stealthy-malware-targeting-millions-of-linux-servers
https://securelist.com/vulnerability-exploit-report-q2-2024/113455/
https://securityaffairs.com/164838/breaking-news/excobalt-cybercrime-group-targets-russian-orgs.html
https://thehackernews.com/2024/06/excobalt-cyber-gang-targets-russian.html
https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/anatomy-of-alpha-spider-ransomware/
https://thehackernews.com/2024/02/fritzfrog-returns-with-log4shell-and.html
https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/cl-unk-1068-targets-critical-sectors/
https://securelist.com/mercedes-benz-head-unit-security-research/115218/
https://www.tenable.com/cyber-exposure/tenable-2022-threat-landscape-report
https://github.com/nicoibarburu/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/jeffmarlonmandela/CVE-2021-4034-PwnKit
https://github.com/snowflakeovo/internal-privesc-poc
https://github.com/keenglomerate/bastion_ai
https://github.com/OleksandrBlack/cve_centos
https://github.com/ropydev/CVE-2021-4034-PwnKit
https://github.com/Erik-Castro/DevSecurity
https://github.com/kryptbakar/Enumeration-Vulnerability-Analysis
https://github.com/Leemyunglyul/cve-2021-4034-mock
https://github.com/naim-ali27/TryHackMe-CTF-Writeups
https://github.com/vorkampfer/pwnkit_safety_check
https://github.com/B1gN0Se/PwnKit_CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/nextgensoumen/soc-pulse
https://github.com/Murguii/DEV-CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Sweatzer/Lab-WriteUps
https://github.com/vaibhavkrishna12004/ubuntu-privesc-lab
https://github.com/strikoder/LinEnum-ng
https://github.com/SyedNabeel98/CVE-writeups
https://github.com/Abbykito/KERNELexploits
https://github.com/ramahmdr/PwnKit
https://github.com/iliasszrq/Scanner-Local-de-Vulnerabilites
https://github.com/CerberusMrX/Cerberus-React2Shell-Scanner-Exploit
https://github.com/boro03/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/V0idA2tronaut/CVEs
https://github.com/zaaraZiof0/pkexec-exploit-CVE
https://github.com/kaisen-bot/pwnkit-helper
https://github.com/dr4xp/pwnkit-helper
https://github.com/BugVex/Poison-HTB-Report
https://github.com/kali-guru/Pwnkit-CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/jlucas8/cve-test-scripts
https://github.com/ziggsanon/Threat-Detection-CVE-Analysis-Lab-with-Wazuh-SIEM-XDR-
https://github.com/Z3R0-0x30/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/PuddinCat/GithubRepoSpider
https://github.com/Chrisync/CVE-Scanner
https://github.com/oieramelibia/DEV_Practica_CVE_2021_4034
https://github.com/ikerSandoval003/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/marcosChoucino/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/igonzalez357/CVE-2021-4034-PwnKit-
https://github.com/nagorealbisu/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/12bijaya/CVE-2021-4034-PwnKit-
https://github.com/dh4r4/PwnKit-CVE-2021-4034-
https://github.com/CyberSecAI/cve_info_refs_crawler
https://github.com/sarperavci/ExploitMe
https://github.com/lsclsclsc/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/OpenCVEs/cve-template
https://github.com/h0pe-ay/Vulnerability-Reproduction
https://github.com/justikail/root
https://github.com/velikrgl/CVE-Exploits
https://github.com/Zeyad-Azima/Remedy4me
https://github.com/z3dc0ps/ROCKING-CVE
https://github.com/flux10n/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/wjl110/CVE-Master
https://github.com/Naughty-SEC/pkexec-shell-executor
https://github.com/A1vinSmith/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/CaraTortu/POCs
https://github.com/antoinenguyen-09/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/karaname/pkexec-exploit
https://github.com/rhin0cer0s/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/qasj/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/1izardd/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/z3dc0ps/awesome-linux-exploits
https://github.com/Nosferatuvjr/PwnKit
https://github.com/Pajarraco4444/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/azazelm3dj3d/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/OpenCVEs/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/nel0x/pwnkit-vulnerability
https://github.com/GatoGamer1155/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/T3slaa/pwnkit-pwn
https://github.com/defhacks/cve-2021-4034
https://github.com/chenaotian/CVE-2022-0185
https://github.com/ck00004/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/hohn/codeql-sample-polkit
https://github.com/x04000/AutoPwnkit
https://github.com/DanaEpp/pwncat_pwnkit
https://github.com/FDlucifer/Pwnkit-go
https://github.com/ziadsaleemi/polkit_CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Joffr3y/Polkit-CVE-2021-4034-HLP
https://github.com/drapl0n/pwnKit
https://github.com/drapl0n/dawnKit
https://github.com/Ph4nt0mh4x0r/auto-CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/xuntitled/Polkit-pkexec-exploit-for-Linux
https://github.com/teelrabbit/Polkit-pkexec-exploit-for-Linux
https://github.com/Almorabea/pkexec-exploit
https://github.com/OXDBXKXO/go-PwnKit
https://github.com/OXDBXKXO/ez-pwnkit
https://github.com/codiobert/pwnkit-scanner
https://github.com/sofire/polkit-0.96-CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/n3onhacks/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Kirill89/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Rvn0xsy/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/oreosec/pwnkit
https://github.com/jpmcb/pwnkit-go
https://github.com/n3onhacks/CVE-2021-4034-BASH-One-File-Exploit
https://github.com/EstamelGG/CVE-2021-4034-NoGCC
https://github.com/0xalwayslucky/log4j-polkit-poc
https://github.com/Fato07/Pwnkit-exploit
https://github.com/c3c/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/evdenis/lsm_bpf_check_argc0
https://github.com/Plethore/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/ashutoshrohilla/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Al1ex/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/nobelh/CVE-2020-4034
https://github.com/hackingyseguridad/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Anonymous-Family/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/joeammond/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/whokilleddb/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/azminawwar/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/xcanwin/CVE-2021-4034-UniontechOS
https://github.com/ly4k/PwnKit
https://github.com/moldabekov/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/N1et/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/An00bRektn/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Ayrx/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/signfind/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/Audiobahn/CVE-2021-4034
https://github.com/JohnHammond/CVE-2021-4034
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-4034
https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/polkit/polkit/-/commit/a2bf5c9c83b6ae46cbd5c779d3055bff81ded683
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2025869
https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2022-001
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/166196/Polkit-pkexec-Local-Privilege-Escalation.html
Details
Published: 2022-01-28
Updated: 2026-08-15
Named Vulnerability: PwnKitKnown Exploited Vulnerability (KEV)
Risk Information
CVSS v2
Base Score: 7.2
Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Severity: High
CVSS v3
Base Score: 7.8
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Severity: High
EPSS
EPSS: 0.94921