CVE-2021-27651
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-27651 is an authentication bypass vulnerability in Pega Infinity that allows attackers to reset passwords for local accounts without proper authentication. This affects Pega Infinity versions 8.2.1 through 8.5.2. Attackers can gain unauthorized access to user accounts and potentially escalate privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- Pega Infinity
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise through administrative account takeover, leading to data theft, ransomware deployment, or business disruption.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to user accounts, privilege escalation, and potential data exfiltration from compromised accounts.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication controls, and monitoring in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is in password reset functionality and requires no authentication. Exploitation is straightforward once the vulnerability is understood.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 8.5.3 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://collaborate.pega.com/discussion/pega-security-advisory-a21-hotfix-matrix
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Upgrade to Pega Infinity 8.5.3 or later. 2. Apply the appropriate hotfix for versions 8.2.1-8.5.2 from Pega's security advisory. 3. Restart the Pega application server. 4. Verify the fix by testing password reset functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable local authentication
allConfigure Pega to use external authentication providers (LDAP, SSO) instead of local accounts
Network segmentation
allRestrict access to Pega Infinity administration interfaces to trusted networks only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit who can reach the Pega application
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for password reset attempts and unusual authentication patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Pega Infinity version. If between 8.2.1 and 8.5.2 inclusive, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check Pega Platform version in System Management Application (SMA) or via PRPC log filesVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, attempt to reproduce the password reset bypass. Verify version is 8.5.3 or later.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual password reset attempts, especially for administrative accounts
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful password reset
- Authentication logs showing password resets without proper verification
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to password reset endpoints from unexpected sources
- Unusual patterns in authentication-related API calls
SIEM Query:
source="pega_logs" AND (event_type="password_reset" OR event_type="authentication") AND result="success" | stats count by user, source_ip