CVE-2021-27876
Veritas Backup Exec · Backup, storage and NAS
Veritas Backup Exec Agent File Access Vulnerability
At a glance
Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on April 7, 2023.
Used in ransomware attacks, according to CISA.
Affected product: Veritas Backup Exec (category Backup, storage and NAS, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: Veritas Backup Exec Agent.
What should I do?
Apply the security update from Veritas.
Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 21 days (due April 28, 2023). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.
- The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2021-27876 on the NVD website.
Original text of the required action (CISA)
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
Timeline
- Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
- Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
- CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies
The facts, with their sources
- Exploitation confirmed
- Yes, on April 7, 2023 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Ransomware
- Known use Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Hunt for compromise
- Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA required action
- Apply the security update from Veritas. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA deadline
- April 28, 2023, 21 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Vulnerability published
- March 1, 2021 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
- Product according to CISA
- Veritas Backup Exec Agent Filed by this site under “Backup, storage and NAS” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Severity and activity
FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
Description
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.
Official description from the NVD, collected Sep 29, 2026. CVE® description © The MITRE Corporation.
Veritas Backup Exec (BE) Agent contains a file access vulnerability that could allow an attacker to specially craft input parameters on a data management protocol command to access files on the BE Agent machine.
Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).
CERT-FR advisories
No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.
Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.
Sources for this page
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
- NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
- EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
- CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
- Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).