CVE-2021-38649 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability was published by Microsoft on 2021-09-14.

Understanding CVE-2021-38649

This CVE affects various Microsoft products like Open Management Infrastructure, System Center Operations Manager, Azure Automation State Configuration, and more.

What is CVE-2021-38649?

CVE-2021-38649 is an Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in Open Management Infrastructure.

The Impact of CVE-2021-38649

Severity: This vulnerability has a CVSS base score of 7.0 (High).
Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Affected Systems: Microsoft products running specific versions as mentioned in the data.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-38649

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows elevation of privilege in the affected Microsoft products.

Affected Systems and Versions

Open Management Infrastructure: Version 16.0 less than OMI Version 1.6.8-1
System Center Operations Manager (SCOM): Version 1.0.0 less than OMI version: 1.6.8-1
Azure Automation State Configuration: Version 2.0.0 less than DSC Agent versions: 2.71.1.25, 2.70.0.30, 3.0.0.3
And more: Refer to CPEs for the full list.

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to gain elevated privileges in the affected systems.

Mitigation and Prevention

For protection against CVE-2021-38649, consider the following steps.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply the necessary patches provided by Microsoft.
Monitor for any unusual activities on the affected systems.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement the principle of least privilege to restrict user access.
Regularly update and patch all software and systems.

Patching and Updates

Ensure all Microsoft products mentioned in the affected list are updated with the latest patches to eliminate the vulnerability.