CVE & CISA-KEV Catalog

CVE-2021-3978

HIGH
7.5
CVSS v3
NVD

Description

When copying files with rsync, octorpki uses the "-a" flag 0, which forces rsync to copy binaries with the suid bit set as root. Since the provided service definition defaults to root ( https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/blob/master/package/octorpki.service ) this could allow for a vector, when combined with another vulnerability that causes octorpki to process a malicious TAL file, for a local privilege escalation.

How to fix

Remediation Available
cfrpkiDebian
Fixed in:1.4.2-1~deb11u1CVE-2021-3978
Fixed in:1.4.2-1CVE-2021-3978

Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.

CVSS v3 Vector

Exploitability

Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityHigh
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploit Intelligence

0.14%probability of exploitation in 30 days
4thpercentile

Low risk: more likely to be exploited than 4% of all known CVEs.

References

Vendor Advisory1

Related Vulnerabilities

Other CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all

CVESeverityCVSSEPSSExploitedFix
CVE-2017-12635Critical9.8100%-Fix
CVE-2022-24637Critical9.899%-Fix
CVE-2017-5689Critical9.892%KEVFix
CVE-2020-3243Critical9.888%--
CVE-2024-21888High8.887%--
CVE-2022-0441Critical9.885%-Fix
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2025-07-29.