How severe is CVE-2021-42081?

CVE-2021-42081 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-42081 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-42081?

CVE-2021-42081 affects Osnexus Quantastor. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-42081?

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

When was CVE-2021-42081 published?

CVE-2021-42081 was published on 2023-07-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-42081

CVE-2021-42081 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Osnexus Quantastor with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1. 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-78.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.1)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (58th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-78
Affected product: Osnexus Quantastor
Published: 2023-07-10
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

An authenticated administrator is allowed to remotely execute arbitrary shell commands via the API. POC http://<IP_ADDRESS>/qstorapi/storageSystemModify?storageSystem=&newName=quantastor&newDescription=;ls${IFS}-al&newLocation=4&newEnclosureLayoutId=5&newDnsServerList=;ls${IFS}-al&externalHostName=&newNTPServerList=;ls${IFS}-al

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-42081?: An authenticated administrator is allowed to remotely execute arbitrary shell commands via the API. POC http://<IP_ADDRESS>/qstorapi/storageSystemModify?storageSystem=&newName=quantastor&newDescription=;ls${IFS}-al&newLocation=4&newEnclosureLayoutId=5&newDnsServerList=;ls${IFS}-al&externalHostName=&newNTPServerList=;ls${IFS}-al
How severe is CVE-2021-42081?: CVE-2021-42081 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.1, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-42081 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-42081?: CVE-2021-42081 affects Osnexus Quantastor. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-42081?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-42081 published?: CVE-2021-42081 was published on 2023-07-10 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:osnexus:quantastor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Osnexus Quantastor

CVE-2021-4406 — Critical (CVSS 9.1): An authenticated attacker is able to create alerts that trigger a stored XSS attack. POC * go to the alert…
CVE-2021-42083 — High (CVSS 8.7): An authenticated attacker is able to create alerts that trigger a stored XSS attack. POC * go to the alert…
CVE-2021-42082 — High (CVSS 7.8): Local users are able to execute scripts under root privileges. POC On the local host run the following command: curl…
CVE-2021-42080 — High (CVSS 7.4): An attacker is able to launch a Reflected XSS attack using a crafted URL. POC: Visit the following…
CVE-2021-42079 — Medium (CVSS 6.2): An authenticated administrator is able to prepare an alert that is able to execute an SSRF attack. This is exclusively…
CVE-2017-9979 — Medium (CVSS 6.1): On the OSNEXUS QuantaStor v4 virtual appliance before 4.3.1, if the REST call invoked does not exist, an error will be…

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