CVE-2021-22893

Pulse Connect Secure 9.0R3/9.1R1 and higher is vulnerable to an authentication bypass vulnerability exposed by the Windows File Share Browser and…

CVSS score
10.0 Critical
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA KEV
Yes — actively exploited (added 2021-11-03, remediation due 2022-05-03)
Ransomware
Known ransomware campaign use
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-287, CWE-416
Published
2021-04-23
Last modified
2026-08-12
NVD status
Analyzed

Description

Pulse Connect Secure 9.0R3/9.1R1 and higher is vulnerable to an authentication bypass vulnerability exposed by the Windows File Share Browser and Pulse Secure Collaboration features of Pulse Connect Secure that can allow an unauthenticated user to perform remote arbitrary code execution on the Pulse Connect Secure gateway. This vulnerability has been exploited in the wild.

Affected products

Affected ranges per NVD CPE data; confirm exact versions in the vendor advisory.

Required action (CISA)

Apply updates per vendor instructions. Federal remediation deadline: 2022-05-03.

How to prioritize this

This vulnerability is on the CISA KEV list, meaning it is being actively exploited — treat it as urgent regardless of the raw CVSS number. Use the live CVE lookup for the latest NVD data, and the CVSS 3.1 calculator to model your own environmental score. For the actively exploited vulnerabilities that matter this week, read The Exploit HQ daily security brief.

References

FAQ

Is CVE-2021-22893 actively exploited?

Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-22893 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03, with a federal remediation deadline of 2022-05-03. A KEV listing means real-world exploitation is confirmed, so patching this should be prioritized above many higher-CVSS bugs that aren't being exploited.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-22893?

CVE-2021-22893 has a CVSS base score of 10.0 (Critical). Its vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Related vulnerabilities

Data source: NVD & CISA KEV. Shown as-is; nothing added. Last generated from NVD data — re-check the live tool for updates.