# CVE-2021-20385: Command injection in Security Guardium

> Remote authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands on IBM Security Guardium systems via specially crafted requests.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.0/AC:L/I:H/S:C/AV:N/PR:H/C:H/UI:R/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 May 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j95v-w48r-jr36

## What is CVE-2021-20385?

CVE-2021-20385 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Ibm Security Guardium, published on 24 May 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

IBM Security Guardium 11.2 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system. By sending a specially-crafted request, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary commands on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 195766.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-20385?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Security Guardium.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-20385?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-20385 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-20385 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20385 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Security Guardium

- [CVE-2023-35893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35893/): IBM Security Guardium command execution (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2017-1253](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1253/): Command injection in Security Guardium (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2017-1269](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-1269/): SQL injection in Security Guardium (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-47709](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47709/): IBM Security Guardium command injection (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2023-30435](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-30435/): IBM Security Guardium cross-site scripting (high 8.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-20385 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-20385 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Ibm Security Guardium, published on 24 May 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20385 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Security Guardium. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20385/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20385/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-20385
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20385
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-20385

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20385/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.