HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-28098
HIGH

CVE-2021-28098

CWE-59Published: April 14, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered in Forescout CounterACT before 8.1.4. A local privilege escalation vulnerability is present in the logging function. SecureConnector runs with administrative privileges and writes logs entries to a file in %PROGRAMDATA%\ForeScout SecureConnector\ that has full permissions for the Everyone group. Using a symbolic link allows an attacker to point the log file to a privileged location such as %WINDIR%\System32. The resulting log file adopts the file permissions of the source of the symbolic link (in this case, the Everyone group). The log file in System32 can be replaced and renamed with a malicious DLL for DLL hijacking.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-28098 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

forescout1 product(s)
counteract
Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://docs.forescout.com
ADVISORYhttps://jordanpotti.com/2021/03/30/forescout-priv-esc-folder-permissions/
ADVISORYhttps://www.adversis.io/research/2021/3/30/forescout-secure-connector-local-privilege-escalation
ADVISORYhttps://docs.forescout.com
ADVISORYhttps://jordanpotti.com/2021/03/30/forescout-priv-esc-folder-permissions/
ADVISORYhttps://www.adversis.io/research/2021/3/30/forescout-secure-connector-local-privilege-escalation

All References (6)

→
https://docs.forescout.comVendor Advisory
→
https://jordanpotti.com/2021/03/30/forescout-priv-esc-folder-permissions/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.adversis.io/research/2021/3/30/forescout-secure-connector-local-privilege-escalationExploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://docs.forescout.comVendor Advisory
→
https://jordanpotti.com/2021/03/30/forescout-priv-esc-folder-permissions/Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.adversis.io/research/2021/3/30/forescout-secure-connector-local-privilege-escalationExploit · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-28098
CVSS Score7.8 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-59
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedApr 14, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-59)

CVE-2002-2374
10.0
CVE-2014-4480
10.0
CVE-2024-28189
10.0
CVE-2024-28185
10.0
CVE-2026-44881
9.9
CVE-2026-7374
9.9

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-28098 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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