How severe is CVE-2021-28098?

CVE-2021-28098 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-28098 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-28098?

CVE-2021-28098 affects Forescout Counteract. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-28098?

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-2021-28098 published?

CVE-2021-28098 was published on 2021-04-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-28098

CVE-2021-28098 is a high-severity vulnerability in Forescout Counteract 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-59.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 4.4
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (32nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-59
Affected product: Forescout Counteract
Published: 2021-04-14
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An issue was discovered in Forescout CounterACT before 8.1.4. A local privilege escalation vulnerability is present in the logging function. SecureConnector runs with administrative privileges and writes logs entries to a file in %PROGRAMDATA%\ForeScout SecureConnector\ that has full permissions for the Everyone group. Using a symbolic link allows an attacker to point the log file to a privileged location such as %WINDIR%\System32. The resulting log file adopts the file permissions of the source of the symbolic link (in this case, the Everyone group). The log file in System32 can be replaced and renamed with a malicious DLL for DLL hijacking.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-28098?: An issue was discovered in Forescout CounterACT before 8.1.4. A local privilege escalation vulnerability is present in the logging function. SecureConnector runs with administrative privileges and writes logs entries to a file in %PROGRAMDATA%\ForeScout SecureConnector\ that has full permissions for the Everyone group. Using a symbolic link allows an attacker to point the log file to a privileged location such as %WINDIR%\System32. The resulting log file adopts the file permissions of the source of the symbolic link (in this case, the Everyone group). The log file in System32 can be replaced and renamed with a malicious DLL for DLL hijacking.
How severe is CVE-2021-28098?: CVE-2021-28098 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-28098 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (32nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-28098?: CVE-2021-28098 affects Forescout Counteract. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-28098?: 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-2021-28098 published?: CVE-2021-28098 was published on 2021-04-14 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:forescout:counteract:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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