Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Checkov could execute attacker-controlled code when it analyzed a malicious Terraform file. This mainly matters where infrastructure code from contributors, pull requests, vendors, or automation is scanned by affected Checkov 2.0 releases before 2.0.26. Checkov 1.0 is reported as not impacted.
Executive priority
Treat this as a targeted but real CI and developer-workstation risk. Prioritize environments scanning third-party or pull-request Terraform, especially where runners hold cloud credentials or deployment permissions.
Technical view
CVE-2021-3035 is a CWE-502 unsafe deserialization issue in Bridgecrew Checkov by Prisma Cloud. Affected Checkov 2.0 versions earlier than 2.0.26 may allow arbitrary code execution while processing a malicious Terraform file. The published CVSS is 6.7, with high confidentiality and integrity impact and low availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in CI/CD pipelines, developer machines, or security scanning services that run affected Checkov 2.0 builds against Terraform content supplied by less-trusted users or repositories.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Exploitation depends on affected Checkov processing a malicious Terraform file, so repository trust boundaries and CI runner isolation determine practical risk.
Researcher notes
The key evidence is limited to the CVE description, CVSS vector, CWE-502 classification, and Palo Alto advisory reference. The source bundle does not provide exploit details, observed exploitation, or a broader affected product matrix.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected Checkov 2.0 installations to version 2.0.26 or later.
- Confirm current vendor guidance from Palo Alto Networks before rollout.
- Restrict who can submit Terraform scanned by privileged CI jobs.
- Run IaC scanning in isolated, least-privileged build environments.
- Avoid scanning untrusted Terraform with affected Checkov versions.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Checkov versions on CI runners, developer workstations, and scanning services.
- Verify no Checkov 2.0 installation is earlier than 2.0.26.
- Confirm Checkov 1.0 deployments are tracked separately as not impacted.
- Review CI permissions for jobs that scan Terraform files.
- Check whether external pull requests trigger Checkov on privileged runners.
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-502: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process 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 lookupCVE-2021-3035 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 6.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
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:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L1.25.5Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.7MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://security.paloaltonetworks.com/CVE-2021-3035CVE 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.
Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Deserialization of Untrusted Data represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.