Is CVE-2021-40997 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-40997 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-40997 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2021-40997 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-40997?

CVE-2021-40997 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-40997

CRITICAL

CVE-2021-40997

NVD-CWE-noinfoPublished: October 15, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A remote authentication bypass vulnerability was discovered in Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager version(s): ClearPass Policy Manager 6.10.x prior to 6.10.2 - - ClearPass Policy Manager 6.9.x prior to 6.9.7-HF1 - - ClearPass Policy Manager 6.8.x prior to 6.8.9-HF1. Aruba has released patches for ClearPass Policy Manager that address this security vulnerability.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-40997 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

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 9.8.