HIGH CVSS 7.5
Published: 2022-12-16

CVE-2021-35252

solarwinds serv-u Security Advisory (CVE-2021-35252)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-35252 impacting solarwinds serv-u. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Common encryption key appears to be used across all deployed instances of Serv-U FTP Server. Because of this an encrypted value that is exposed to an attacker can be simply recovered to plaintext.

📊 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
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
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
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product solarwinds / serv-u
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-798

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-2021-35252 impacting solarwinds serv-u.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-35252.yaml
id: cve-2021-35252

info:
  name: solarwinds serv-u - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-35252 affecting solarwinds serv-u.
    Evaluation: Common encryption key appears to be used across all deployed instances of Serv-U FTP Server. Because of this an encrypted value that is exposed to an ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-35252
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 7.5
    cve-id: CVE-2021-35252
    cwe-id: CWE-798
  tags: cve,cve-2021-35252,solarwinds,serv-u,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "serv-u"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-35252.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-35252
# Target: solarwinds serv-u | CVSS: 7.5 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-35252 (solarwinds serv-u)...")
    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 solarwinds serv-u 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-2021-35252.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-35252
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install serv-u 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade serv-u 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update serv-u

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

# 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-2021-35252 in solarwinds serv-u?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update solarwinds serv-u 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-2021-35252?

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-2021-35252?

CVE-2021-35252 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.5 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.5
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-35252
Weakness CWE-798
Vendor solarwinds
Product serv-u
Published 2022-12-16
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N