# CVE-2021-35244: Unrestricted File Upload Causing Remote Code Execution: Orion Platform 2020.2.6

> An attacker with alert management rights can upload arbitrary files to achieve remote code execution on the SolarWinds Orion Platform.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j7c8-fmh5-w5pf

## What is CVE-2021-35244?

CVE-2021-35244 is a medium-severity vulnerability in SolarWinds Orion Platform, published on 20 Dec 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The "Log alert to a file" action within action management enables any Orion Platform user with Orion alert management rights to write to any file. An attacker with Orion alert management rights could use this vulnerability to perform an unrestricted file upload causing a remote code execution.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-35244?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Solarwinds Orion Platform.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-35244?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-35244 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-35244 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-35244 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SolarWinds Orion Platform

- [CVE-2020-10148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10148/): SolarWinds Orion Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-27258](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27258/): Privilege escalation in Orion Platform (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-25274](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25274/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-9546](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-9546/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-13169](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13169/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 9.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-35244 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-35244 is a medium-severity vulnerability in SolarWinds Orion Platform, published on 20 Dec 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-35244 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SolarWinds Orion Platform. 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-2021-35244/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35244/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-35244
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-35244
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-35244

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35244/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.