Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-26725 affects Nozomi Networks Guardian and CMC 20.0.7.3 and earlier. An authenticated administrator using the web GUI timezone feature could trigger path traversal and access protected system files. This is high risk, but the sources do not show public active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for any internet-exposed or broadly reachable management interfaces. The vulnerability needs administrator access, but successful use could expose protected system files on operational security infrastructure.
Technical view
The issue is CWE-24 path traversal in timezone setting handling for Guardian and CMC. CVSS 4.0 is 8.6, with network access, low complexity, high privileges, and no user interaction. The provided description confirms protected file read; broader integrity and availability impacts are indicated by the CVSS vector but not detailed.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations running Nozomi Networks Guardian or CMC version 20.0.7.3 or earlier, especially where administrative web GUI access is reachable by broad internal networks or shared administrator accounts.
Exploitation context
The CVE requires authenticated administrator privileges. The source bundle does not include KEV listing, proof of active exploitation, public exploit confirmation, or exploit details. Treat it as a serious insider, credential-compromise, or over-privileged-admin risk.
Researcher notes
Evidence is strongest for affected products, versions, privilege requirement, CWE, and CVSS. The bundle does not provide exploit mechanics, file targets, detection signatures, or detailed patch notes, so validation should stay version- and vendor-advisory-driven.
Mitigation direction
- Review Nozomi advisory NN-2021:2-01 for vendor-approved remediation.
- Upgrade Guardian and CMC beyond affected 20.0.7.3 releases.
- Restrict administrative web GUI access to trusted management networks.
- Audit administrator accounts and remove unnecessary privileges.
- Monitor for unexpected timezone changes or administrative configuration activity.
Validation and detection
- Inventory all Guardian and CMC deployments and record exact versions.
- Confirm no production system remains on 20.0.7.3 or earlier.
- Review administrative access paths to the web GUI.
- Check logs for unusual timezone-setting changes by administrators.
- Confirm vendor guidance was applied consistently across appliances.
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-24: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-26725 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
- 8.6 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
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:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.6HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://security.nozominetworks.com/NN-2021:2-01CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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.
Path Traversal: '../filedir'
Path Traversal: '../filedir' represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.