CVE-2021-3560

CRITICALNVD 7.89.0▲
EchelonGraph scoreHIGH confidence

Score elevated to 9.0 because this CVE is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-05-12), indicating real-world exploitation has been confirmed by US federal agencies. NVD baseline CVSS 7.8 retained for reference. Confidence: HIGH.

Triggered by: CISA KEV (actively exploited)
Sources: cisa_kev, epss, ghsa, nvd
Trending — 5 sources updated this weekExploited in the wild
9.0EG
EchelonGraph verdictPatch nowTreat as an emergency — this is being exploited.
  • Actively exploited in the wild (CISA-KEV)
CISA-KEV: ExploitedEPSS PROB: 24%CVSS: 7.8Exploit: cisa kev · ssvc active · Metasploit · Exploit-DB (verified) · epss top5pct · public exploitExposed: 0

A fix is available — apply it.

It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

CVSS v3
7.8
EG Score
9.0(high)
EG Risk
81(Attend)
EG Risk 81/100SSVC: Attend

EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).

How it’s computed
Severity90% × 45%
Exploitation100% × 40%
Automatability0% × 15%
Action: Remediate soon — notable exploitation risk.
EPSS PROB
24%
EPSS %ILE
98%
KEV
⚠ Exploited

Published

February 16, 2022

Last Modified

November 6, 2025

Advisory Details (5)

Auto-updated Jun 3, 2026
⚠️ Active exploitation confirmed. Patch available. Sources: redhat, cisa.
cisa Patch Available🔴 Active Exploitation

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog | CISA

Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog | CISA. Listed in CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-3560
generic🟡 PoC Available

Privilege escalation with polkit: How to get root on Linux with a seven-year-old bug - The GitHub Blog

https://github.blog/2021-06-10-privilege-escalation-polkit-root-on-linux-with-bug/
redhat Patch Available

1961710 – (CVE-2021-3560) CVE-2021-3560 polkit: local privilege escalation using polkit_system_bus_name_get_creds_sync()

Affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.1 Extended Update Support

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1961710
generic

Packet Storm

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-Service.html
generic

Packet Storm

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Bypass.html

Vendor Advisories for CVE-2021-3560(1)

These vendors published their own advisory mentioning this CVE — often with vendor-specific remediation steps + affected product lists not in NVD.

Patch Availability(6)

Vendor / EcosystemFixed in / PatchReleasedSource
ubuntulibpolkit-agent-1-dev (0.105-30ubuntu0.1) @ hirsute2026-09-19ubuntu
redhatpolkit-0:0.115-11.el8_3.22021-07-06redhat
redhatredhat-virtualization-host-0:4.4.6-20210615.0.el8_42021-06-22redhat
redhatpolkit-0:0.115-11.el8_4.12021-06-03redhat
redhatpolkit-0:0.115-11.el8_2.12021-06-03redhat
redhatpolkit-0:0.115-9.el8_1.12021-06-03redhat

Patches are aggregated from vendor advisories (Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco, GitHub) and package ecosystems (OSV, GHSA). Multiple rows for the same upstream release have been deduplicated.

Affected Packages

(4 across 4 ecosystems)
Debian:11(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFixed inDependents
policykit-1—0.105-31—
Debian:12(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFixed inDependents
policykit-1—0.105-31—
Debian:13(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFixed inDependents
policykit-1—0.105-31—
Debian:14(1)
PackageVulnerable rangeFixed inDependents
policykit-1—0.105-31—

Weakness Classification(2)

MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.

Additional Vendor Advisories

(6)

Vendors that published advisories for this CVE beyond the curated set above. Broader coverage but minimal per-row detail — click through for the original advisory.

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 97× in last 7d / 419× in last 30d)

Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.

Showing the most recent 100 of 1,505 total refreshes for this CVE.

  1. 2026-09-19 07:50 UTCVendor advisory
  2. 2026-09-19 07:50 UTCGHSA enrichment
  3. 2026-09-19 03:41 UTCVendor advisory
  4. 2026-09-19 03:41 UTCGHSA enrichment
  5. 2026-09-18 23:32 UTCEG score recompute
  6. 2026-09-18 23:32 UTCVendor advisory
  7. 2026-09-18 23:31 UTCGHSA enrichment
  8. 2026-09-18 19:23 UTCEPSS rescore
  9. 2026-09-18 19:23 UTCVendor advisory
  10. 2026-09-18 19:23 UTCGHSA enrichment
  11. 2026-09-18 19:20 UTCCISA KEV update
  12. 2026-09-18 15:14 UTCVendor advisory
  13. 2026-09-18 15:14 UTCGHSA enrichment
  14. 2026-09-18 14:15 UTCCISA KEV update
  15. 2026-09-18 11:05 UTCVendor advisory
  16. 2026-09-18 11:05 UTCGHSA enrichment
  17. 2026-09-18 06:56 UTCVendor advisory
  18. 2026-09-18 06:56 UTCGHSA enrichment
  19. 2026-09-18 02:47 UTCVendor advisory
  20. 2026-09-18 02:47 UTCGHSA enrichment
  21. 2026-09-17 22:38 UTCEG score recompute
  22. 2026-09-17 22:38 UTCVendor advisory
  23. 2026-09-17 22:38 UTCGHSA enrichment
  24. 2026-09-17 19:23 UTCEPSS rescore
  25. 2026-09-17 19:23 UTCEPSS rescore
Show 75 more
  1. 2026-09-17 18:27 UTCVendor advisory
  2. 2026-09-17 18:27 UTCGHSA enrichment
  3. 2026-09-17 14:18 UTCVendor advisory
  4. 2026-09-17 14:18 UTCGHSA enrichment
  5. 2026-09-17 10:09 UTCVendor advisory
  6. 2026-09-17 10:09 UTCGHSA enrichment
  7. 2026-09-17 05:59 UTCVendor advisory
  8. 2026-09-17 05:59 UTCGHSA enrichment
  9. 2026-09-17 01:50 UTCVendor advisory
  10. 2026-09-17 01:50 UTCGHSA enrichment
  11. 2026-09-16 21:41 UTCVendor advisory
  12. 2026-09-16 21:41 UTCGHSA enrichment
  13. 2026-09-16 17:32 UTCEG score recompute
  14. 2026-09-16 17:32 UTCVendor advisory
  15. 2026-09-16 17:31 UTCGHSA enrichment
  16. 2026-09-16 14:10 UTCCISA KEV update
  17. 2026-09-16 14:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  18. 2026-09-16 13:20 UTCVendor advisory
  19. 2026-09-16 13:20 UTCGHSA enrichment
  20. 2026-09-16 09:09 UTCEG score recompute
  21. 2026-09-16 09:09 UTCVendor advisory
  22. 2026-09-16 09:09 UTCGHSA enrichment
  23. 2026-09-16 05:00 UTCVendor advisory
  24. 2026-09-16 05:00 UTCGHSA enrichment
  25. 2026-09-16 00:50 UTCVendor advisory
  26. 2026-09-16 00:50 UTCGHSA enrichment
  27. 2026-09-15 20:41 UTCVendor advisory
  28. 2026-09-15 20:41 UTCGHSA enrichment
  29. 2026-09-15 16:32 UTCVendor advisory
  30. 2026-09-15 16:32 UTCGHSA enrichment
  31. 2026-09-15 12:22 UTCVendor advisory
  32. 2026-09-15 12:22 UTCGHSA enrichment
  33. 2026-09-15 08:13 UTCVendor advisory
  34. 2026-09-15 08:13 UTCGHSA enrichment
  35. 2026-09-15 04:04 UTCEG score recompute
  36. 2026-09-15 04:04 UTCVendor advisory
  37. 2026-09-15 04:04 UTCGHSA enrichment
  38. 2026-09-15 03:06 UTCEPSS rescore
  39. 2026-09-14 23:55 UTCVendor advisory
  40. 2026-09-14 23:55 UTCGHSA enrichment
  41. 2026-09-14 19:46 UTCVendor advisory
  42. 2026-09-14 19:46 UTCGHSA enrichment
  43. 2026-09-14 19:24 UTCCISA KEV update
  44. 2026-09-14 15:37 UTCVendor advisory
  45. 2026-09-14 15:37 UTCGHSA enrichment
  46. 2026-09-14 11:28 UTCVendor advisory
  47. 2026-09-14 11:28 UTCGHSA enrichment
  48. 2026-09-14 07:20 UTCVendor advisory
  49. 2026-09-14 07:20 UTCGHSA enrichment
  50. 2026-09-14 03:11 UTCVendor advisory
  51. 2026-09-14 03:11 UTCGHSA enrichment
  52. 2026-09-13 23:02 UTCVendor advisory
  53. 2026-09-13 23:02 UTCGHSA enrichment
  54. 2026-09-13 18:53 UTCEG score recompute
  55. 2026-09-13 18:53 UTCVendor advisory
  56. 2026-09-13 18:53 UTCGHSA enrichment
  57. 2026-09-13 14:42 UTCVendor advisory
  58. 2026-09-13 14:42 UTCGHSA enrichment
  59. 2026-09-13 10:30 UTCVendor advisory
  60. 2026-09-13 10:30 UTCGHSA enrichment
  61. 2026-09-13 06:21 UTCVendor advisory
  62. 2026-09-13 06:21 UTCGHSA enrichment
  63. 2026-09-13 02:13 UTCVendor advisory
  64. 2026-09-13 02:12 UTCGHSA enrichment
  65. 2026-09-12 22:04 UTCVendor advisory
  66. 2026-09-12 22:04 UTCGHSA enrichment
  67. 2026-09-12 17:54 UTCEG score recompute
  68. 2026-09-12 17:54 UTCVendor advisory
  69. 2026-09-12 17:54 UTCGHSA enrichment
  70. 2026-09-12 14:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  71. 2026-09-12 13:45 UTCVendor advisory
  72. 2026-09-12 13:45 UTCGHSA enrichment
  73. 2026-09-12 09:36 UTCVendor advisory
  74. 2026-09-12 09:36 UTCGHSA enrichment
  75. 2026-09-12 05:27 UTCVendor advisory

Publicly available exploits

(10 references)

Working exploit code is in the public domain (10 GitHub PoCs). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.

  • GitHub PoCKyyomaa/CVE-2021-3560-EXPLOIT
    First seen Mar 24, 2024

    Part of my cybersecurity thesis consists in exploring and exploiting this vulnerability.

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCLucasPDiniz/CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Nov 8, 2023

    Exploitation of the CVE-2021-3560 polkit vulnerability

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCUNICORDev/exploit-CVE-2021-3560
    First seen May 2, 2022

    Exploit for CVE-2021-3560 (Polkit) - Local Privilege Escalation

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCwinmin/CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Apr 30, 2022

    PolicyKit CVE-2021-3560 Exploitation (Authentication Agent)

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCRicterZ/CVE-2021-3560-Authentication-Agent
    First seen Apr 29, 2022

    PolicyKit CVE-2021-3560 Exploit (Authentication Agent)

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCchenaotian/CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Jan 31, 2022

    CVE-2021-3560 analysis

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoC0dayNinja/CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Jul 30, 2021

    Polkit D-Bus Authentication Bypass Exploit

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCBizarreLove/CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Jul 28, 2021

    NYCY_homework_&_meeting

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCcpu0x00/CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Jul 2, 2021

    ubuntu new PrivEsc race condition vulnerability

    Open source ↗
  • GitHub PoCAssassinUKG/Polkit-CVE-2021-3560
    First seen Jun 29, 2021
    Open source ↗

Frequently asked(6)

What is CVE-2021-3560?
CVE-2021-3560 is a critical vulnerability published on February 16, 2022. It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator. The highest threat from this…
When was CVE-2021-3560 disclosed?
CVE-2021-3560 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on February 16, 2022, with the most recent update on November 6, 2025. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2021-3560 actively exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-3560 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on May 12, 2023, affecting Red Hat Polkit. KEV listing indicates confirmed exploitation in the wild; this CVE warrants immediate patching attention.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3560?
CVE-2021-3560 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8 (NVD). EchelonGraph synthesises NVD + CISA KEV + FIRST EPSS + GHSA into a combined EG score of 9.0.
Which products are affected by CVE-2021-3560?
CVE-2021-3560 affects Red Hat Polkit. The full affected-products list, including version ranges and fixed versions, is shown in the Affected Packages section of this page.
How do I remediate CVE-2021-3560?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2021-3560, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.

Dependency Blast Radius

See which npm, PyPI, Go, and Maven packages are affected by CVE-2021-3560

Explore →

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