What it is
CVE-2021-3560 is a vulnerability affecting Linux polkit. It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user....
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2021-3560
polkit
Linux / polkit · polkit 0.119
- Severity
- CVSS 7.8 · High
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 22.2%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
Linux / polkit polkit 0.119.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
polkit
It was found that polkit could be tricked into bypassing the credential checks for D-Bus requests, elevating the privileges of the requestor to the root user. This flaw could be used by an unprivileged local attacker to, for example, create a new local administrator.
The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.
Vendor
Product
Affected
Status
n/a
polkit
polkit 0.119
Affected
- Published
- 16 Feb 2022
- Exploitation Reported
- 12 May 2023
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
Tags
cisa
metasploit
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3560
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi bugzilla.redhat.com · CVE Record https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1961710
- github.blog/2021-06-10-privilege-escalation-polkit-root-... github.blog · CVE Record https://github.blog/2021-06-10-privilege-escalation-polkit-root-on-li...
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Bypass.html packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172836/polkit-Authentication-Byp...
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-Service... packetstormsecurity.com · CVE Record http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172846/Facebook-Fizz-Denial-Of-S...
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
GitHub
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2023-05-12 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Metasploit template detected 28 Apr 2025.
View Metasploit template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/linux/local/polkit_dbus_auth_bypass.rb | 28 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
22.2%
Weaknesses
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
7.2
High
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
RicterZ/CVE-2021-3560-Authentication-Agent
github · Created 2022-04-29 18:57:30 UTC · 116 stars · AI assessment 90%
PolicyKit CVE-2021-3560 Exploit (Authentication Agent)
secnigma/CVE-2021-3560-Polkit-Privilege-Esclation
github · Created 2021-06-14 20:08:20 UTC · 118 stars · AI assessment 90%
hakivvi/CVE-2021-3560
github · Created 2021-06-12 05:22:35 UTC · 38 stars · AI assessment 90%
a reliable C based exploit and writeup for CVE-2021-3560.
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2021-3560
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2021-3560",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.22193,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.