# CVE-2021-35250: Directory Transversal Vulnerability in Serv-U 15.3

> An attacker can exploit a directory traversal flaw in Serv-U to access installation and server files, requiring a patch to mitigate.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Apr 2022
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7pjc-f7p6-mpfc

## What is CVE-2021-35250?

CVE-2021-35250 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Solarwinds Serv-U, published on 25 Apr 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A researcher reported a Directory Transversal Vulnerability in Serv-U 15.3. This may allow access to files relating to the Serv-U installation and server files. This issue has been resolved in Serv-U 15.3 Hotfix 1.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-35250?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Solarwinds Serv-U.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-35250?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-35250 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-35250 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-35250 exists.

Public exploit code:

- https://github.com/rissor41/SolarWinds-CVE-2021-35250 (github_poc): https://github.com/rissor41/SolarWinds-CVE-2021-35250
- SolarWinds Serv-U 15.3 - Directory Traversal (nuclei): http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-35250.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Solarwinds Serv-U

- [CVE-2021-35211](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35211/): SolarWinds Serv-U Remote Code Execution (critical 9.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-28995](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28995/): SolarWinds Serv-U Path Traversal Vulnerability (high 8.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-28318](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-28318/): SolarWinds Serv-U Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (high 7.5, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-35247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35247/): SolarWinds Serv-U Improper Input Validation (medium 4.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-35481](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35481/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-35250 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-35250 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in Solarwinds Serv-U, published on 25 Apr 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-35250 exists.

Affected product: Solarwinds Serv-U. 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-2021-35250/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35250/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-35250
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-35250
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-35250

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35250/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.