How severe is CVE-2021-25269?

CVE-2021-25269 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-25269 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (15th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-25269?

CVE-2021-25269 primarily affects Sophos Exploit Prevention. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-25269?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-25269 published?

CVE-2021-25269 was published on 2021-11-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-25269

CVE-2021-25269 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Sophos Exploit Prevention with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. 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-428.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 4.4)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (15th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-428
Affected product: Sophos Exploit Prevention
Published: 2021-11-26
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A local administrator could prevent the HMPA service from starting despite tamper protection using an unquoted service path vulnerability in the HMPA component of Sophos Intercept X Advanced and Sophos Intercept X Advanced for Server before version 2.0.23, as well as Sophos Exploit Prevention before version 3.8.3.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-25269?: A local administrator could prevent the HMPA service from starting despite tamper protection using an unquoted service path vulnerability in the HMPA component of Sophos Intercept X Advanced and Sophos Intercept X Advanced for Server before version 2.0.23, as well as Sophos Exploit Prevention before version 3.8.3.
How severe is CVE-2021-25269?: CVE-2021-25269 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-25269 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (15th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-25269?: CVE-2021-25269 primarily affects Sophos Exploit Prevention. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-25269?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-25269 published?: CVE-2021-25269 was published on 2021-11-26 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://www.sophos.com/en-us/security-advisories/sophos-sa-20211126-ixa-hmpa-local-dos

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:sophos:exploit_prevention:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sophos:intercept_x_endpoint:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sophos:intercept_x_for_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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