{"id":"CVE-2021-22900","published":"2021-05-27T12:15:07Z","modified":"2026-06-17T03:37:59Z","title":"Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Unrestricted File Upload Vulnerability","vendor":"Ivanti","product":"Pulse Connect Secure","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"A vulnerability allowed multiple unrestricted uploads in Pulse Connect Secure before 9.1R11.4 that could lead to an authenticated administrator to perform a file write via a maliciously crafted archive upload in the administrator web interface.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure, prior to 9.1R11.4, contains an unrestricted file upload flaw in its administrator web interface that permits multiple uploads without adequate restriction. An attacker holding administrator credentials can exploit this by uploading a maliciously crafted archive to write files to the system, and no user interaction is required beyond that authenticated access over the network.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T12:59:46Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.2,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.14146,"percentile":0.96572,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"Reference CISA's ED 21-03 (https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/ed-21-03-mitigate-pulse-connect-secure-product-vulnerabilities) for further guidance and requirements. Note: The due date for addressing this vulnerability aligns with the requirements outlined in ED 21-03. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22900","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-08-20","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-08-20","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa21-209a","date":"2021-08-20"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"}],"evidenceTotal":2,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-669","name":"Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres"},{"id":"CWE-94","name":"Improper Control of Generation of Code"}],"references":[{"url":"https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44784/?kA23Z000000boUWSAY","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://kb.pulsesecure.net/articles/Pulse_Security_Advisories/SA44784/?kA23Z000000boUWSAY","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-22900","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Unrestricted File Upload","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability is exploited through multiple unrestricted uploads. Adversaries with authenticated administrator privileges leverage this vulnerability to perform unauthorized file writes on the system via a maliciously crafted archive upload within the administrator web interface in Pulse Connect Secure.","confidence":"high"},{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Unrestricted File Upload","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[],"comment":"This vulnerability is exploited through multiple unrestricted uploads. Adversaries with authenticated administrator privileges leverage this vulnerability to perform unauthorized file writes on the system via a maliciously crafted archive upload within the administrator web interface in Pulse Connect Secure.","confidence":"high"}],"reports":[{"id":"SRC-f144807c3c05fbc98a1a","title":"Ransomware as a service: Understanding the cybercrime gig economy and how to protect yourself","publisher":"microsoft.com","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2022/05/09/ransomware-as-a-service-understanding-the-cybercrime-gig-economy-and-how-to-protect-yourself/","date":"2022-05-09","mentions":[{"quote":"Pulse Secure VPN systems affected by CVE-2019-11510, CVE-2020-8260, CVE-2020-8243, CVE-2021-22893, CVE-2021-22894, CVE-2021-22899, and CVE-2021-22900","start":62242,"end":62391}]}],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2021-10032","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2021-10032","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":null,"exploitRefs":[],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1059"],"provenance":"source"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2021-05-27","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-22900","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-08-20","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa21-209a","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2021-10032","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2022-05-09","kind":"report","label":"Named in microsoft.com: Ransomware as a service: Understanding the cybercrime gig economy and how to protect yourself","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2022/05/09/ransomware-as-a-service-understanding-the-cybercrime-gig-economy-and-how-to-protect-yourself/","provenance":"machine"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":null,"firstExploitFrom":null,"daysToKev":160},"priority":{"score":66.2,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1898 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.31,"detail":"percentile 0.9657"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":3.87,"detail":"1 report"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":0.0,"detail":"none found"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":5.04,"detail":"base score 7.2"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]},"lineage":{"familyId":"fam-class-ivanti-connect-secure-cwe-94"}}