HIGH CVSS 8.1
Published: 2021-03-01

CVE-2021-27876

veritas backup_exec Security Advisory (CVE-2021-27876)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-27876 impacting veritas backup_exec. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.1 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
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. By using crafted input parameters in one of these commands, an attacker can access an arbitrary file on the system using System privileges.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product veritas / backup_exec
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration NVD-CWE-noinfo

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-27876 impacting veritas backup_exec.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-27876.yaml
id: cve-2021-27876

info:
  name: veritas backup_exec - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-27876 affecting veritas backup_exec.
    Evaluation: An issue was discovered in Veritas Backup Exec before 21.2. The communication between a client and an Agent requires successful authentication, which ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-27876
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
    cvss-score: 8.1
    cve-id: CVE-2021-27876
    cwe-id: NVD-CWE-noinfo
  tags: cve,cve-2021-27876,veritas,backup_exec,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "backup_exec"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-27876.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-27876
# Target: veritas backup_exec | CVSS: 8.1 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-27876 (veritas backup_exec)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against veritas backup_exec scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-27876.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-27876
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install backup_exec 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade backup_exec 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update backup_exec

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i backup_exec 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i backup_exec

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-27876 in veritas backup_exec?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update veritas backup_exec packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-27876?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-27876?

CVE-2021-27876 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.1 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.1
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-27876
Weakness NVD-CWE-noinfo
Vendor veritas
Product backup_exec
Published 2021-03-01
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N