How severe is CVE-2021-21545?

CVE-2021-21545 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-21545 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (20th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-21545?

CVE-2021-21545 affects Dell Peripheral Manager. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-21545?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-21545 published?

CVE-2021-21545 was published on 2021-04-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-21545

CVE-2021-21545 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dell Peripheral Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-427.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 7.2
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (20th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-427
Affected product: Dell Peripheral Manager
Published: 2021-04-12
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Dell Peripheral Manager 1.3.1 or greater contains remediation for a local privilege escalation vulnerability that could be potentially exploited to gain arbitrary code execution on the system with privileges of the system user.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-21545?: Dell Peripheral Manager 1.3.1 or greater contains remediation for a local privilege escalation vulnerability that could be potentially exploited to gain arbitrary code execution on the system with privileges of the system user.
How severe is CVE-2021-21545?: CVE-2021-21545 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-21545 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (20th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-21545?: CVE-2021-21545 affects Dell Peripheral Manager. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-21545?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-21545 published?: CVE-2021-21545 was published on 2021-04-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000185100/dsa-2021-079-dell-client-security-update-for-dell-peripheral-manager-local-privilege-escalation-vulnerability

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:dell:peripheral_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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