# CVE-2021-43038: Command injection in n/a

> Attackers can escalate privileges from wguest to postgres via command injection in PostgreSQL triggers, requiring an upgrade to Kaseya Unitrends Backup Appliance.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Dec 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6rjf-7wv7-gjwv

## What is CVE-2021-43038?

CVE-2021-43038 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Dec 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An issue was discovered in Kaseya Unitrends Backup Appliance before 10.5.5. The wguest account could execute commands by injecting into PostgreSQL trigger functions. This allowed privilege escalation from the wguest user to the postgres user.

Weakness: CWE-74 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements in Output Used by a Downstream Component)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-43038?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Kaseya Unitrends Backup.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-43038?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-43038 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-43038 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-43038 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2021-40386](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40386/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43033](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43033/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43035](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43035/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43036](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43036/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-43042](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43042/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-43038 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-43038 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in n/a, published on 6 Dec 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-43038 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2021-43038/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43038/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-43038
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-43038
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-43038

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43038/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.