Red Hat Polkit Incorrect Authorization Vulnerability

Are you affected?

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• cpe canonical/ubuntu linux20.04
• cpe debian/debian linux11.0
• cpe polkit project/polkitversion unspecified
• cpe redhat/openshift container platform4.7
• cpe redhat/virtualization4.0
• cpe redhat/virtualization host4.0
• vendor Red Hat Polkitversion unspecified

How to fix CVE-2021-3560

• Recommended remediation

  Apply updates per vendor instructions. CISA due date Jun 2, 2023.

• Official advisories

  • CISA KEV · cisa.gov
  • CVE.org · cve.org
  • FIRST EPSS · first.org
  • NIST NVD · nvd.nist.gov
  • Packet Storm Security · packetstormsecurity.com
  • Packet Storm Security · packetstormsecurity.com

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

No public source repository is identified for this product.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

1. Feb 16, 2022 · Catalog

   Detected

   It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

2. May 12, 2023 · CISA KEV

   Known exploited

   Apply updates per vendor instructions.

3. Jun 2, 2023 · CISA KEV

   Remediation due

   Apply updates per vendor instructions.

4. Jun 16, 2026 · Catalog

   Updated

   It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Sources

• CISA KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-3560

  Red Hat Polkit contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability through the bypassing of credential checks for D-Bus requests, allowing for privilege escalation.

  cisa.gov
• CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2021-3560

  Official CVE identifier

  cve.org
• FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2021-3560

  30-day exploitation probability 23.7%

  first.org
• Exploit DatabasePublic exploit reference50011

  Public archive entry. The exploit body is not stored here.

  exploit-db.com
• Metasploit ModulesPublic exploit moduleexploit_linux/local/polkit_dbus_auth_bypass

  Public module reference (excellent). Module source is not copied into this catalog.

  rapid7.com
• NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2021-3560

  It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest

  nvd.nist.gov
• Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Bypass.html

  Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

  packetstormsecurity.com
• Packet Storm SecurityCited referencehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-Service.html

  Packet Storm link already published on the finding.

  packetstormsecurity.com
• VulnCheck KEVConfirmed exploitationCVE-2021-3560

  Red Hat Polkit contains an incorrect authorization vulnerability through the bypassing of credential checks for D-Bus requests, allowing for privilege escalation.

  vulncheck.com

References

• Third Party Advisory · packetstormsecurity.com
• Third Party Advisory · packetstormsecurity.com
• CISA note · bugzilla.redhat.com
• Exploit · github.blog
• CISA note · nvd.nist.gov
• VulnCheck exploitation evidence · cisa.gov

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 17, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.