Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Dell EMC NetWorker could expose plaintext credentials in server log files. A low-privileged local user on the NetWorker server may be able to read those credentials, potentially expanding access beyond their intended role.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority remediation for backup infrastructure. Backup platforms often hold sensitive operational credentials, and credential exposure can create broader recovery, data-protection, and ransomware resilience risk.
Technical view
CVE-2021-21546 is a CWE-532 information disclosure flaw in Dell EMC NetWorker 18.x and 19.x before 19.3.0.4 and 19.4.0.0. The source describes local, low-privileged exploitation through server log files containing plaintext credentials.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on NetWorker server systems running affected 18.x or 19.x versions, especially where non-administrative users have local access or broad log-read permissions.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access to the NetWorker server and readable affected log files.
Researcher notes
The public bundle is clear on affected product family, local attack requirements, CWE-532, and fixed version thresholds. It does not provide exploit prevalence, proof-of-concept status, or detailed patch mechanics.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected NetWorker servers using Dell’s security advisory guidance.
- Move to 19.3.0.4, 19.4.0.0, or later supported fixed releases where applicable.
- Restrict local login and filesystem access to NetWorker server logs.
- Rotate credentials that may have been written to affected logs.
- Review log retention and secure deletion procedures for exposed sensitive data.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Dell EMC NetWorker server versions across the environment.
- Identify any 18.x or 19.x servers below 19.3.0.4 or 19.4.0.0.
- Review local user access to NetWorker servers and log directories.
- Check whether historical logs may contain plaintext credentials.
- Confirm credential rotation occurred after any suspected log exposure.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-532: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-21546 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000185470/dsa-2021-081-dell-emc-networker-security-update-for-a-clear-text-vulnerabilityCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File
Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.