Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
ArcGIS Earth 1.11.0 and earlier can be tricked into writing files outside the intended location when a user uploads a crafted file. That could let an attacker run code with the same permissions as the affected user.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority workstation remediation issue where ArcGIS Earth is deployed. The user-action requirement reduces worm-like risk, but successful exploitation could compromise data and execute code as the user.
Technical view
This is a CWE-23 path traversal in ArcGIS Earth file parsing. The CVSS 3.0 score is 7.8: local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running Esri ArcGIS Earth 1.11.0 or below, especially workstations whose users import or upload files from external or untrusted sources.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation requires inducing a user to upload a crafted file to an affected ArcGIS Earth system.
Researcher notes
The provided evidence establishes affected product, version boundary, weakness type, and impact. It does not include exploit details, observed exploitation, or a named fixed version, so remediation should follow Esri’s advisory directly.
Mitigation direction
- Identify and prioritize ArcGIS Earth 1.11.0 and earlier installations.
- Review Esri’s security update and apply vendor-recommended upgrades or fixes.
- Restrict use of untrusted ArcGIS Earth input files until remediated.
- Use least-privilege user accounts for affected workstation activity.
Validation and detection
- Inventory endpoints for ArcGIS Earth and record installed versions.
- Confirm whether any installations are version 1.11.0 or earlier.
- Review user workflows that import externally supplied files.
- Verify remediation against Esri’s published security guidance.
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-23: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. 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 lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program 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-2021-29100 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 (3.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.0 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-earth/administration/arcgis-earth-security-updateCVE 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.
Relative Path Traversal
Relative Path Traversal represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.