Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-47859 is a local privilege-escalation issue in HID Global ActivIdentity 8.2. A Windows service path is not properly quoted, which can let a user who already has local access place a malicious executable in the path and gain higher privileges. This is not a remote-entry vulnerability, but it can materially worsen a workstation or server compromise.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority where ActivIdentity 8.2 is deployed on important Windows systems. It is not a standalone internet compromise, but it can turn limited local access into full system control. Remediation should be included in endpoint hardening and privilege-escalation risk reduction work.
Technical view
The affected service is ac.sharedstore in ActivIdentity 8.2. The issue is CWE-428, unquoted search path or element. The provided CVSS v4.0 score is 8.5, with local attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Public exploit information exists, but the bundle does not show confirmed active exploitation.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running HID Global ActivIdentity 8.2 with the vulnerable ac.sharedstore service installed. Risk is highest where standard users can write to directories in the service path or where local compromise is already plausible.
Exploitation context
An attacker needs local access and some privileges on the Windows host. The vulnerability can support privilege escalation after phishing, malware foothold, insider access, or misuse of a shared endpoint. CISA KEV status is false in the provided data, so active exploitation is not established here.
Researcher notes
The source bundle identifies ExploitDB and VulnCheck references, but no vendor patch details are included. Avoid assuming affected versions beyond ActivIdentity 8.2. Confirm service configuration and ACL exposure in each environment, because practical risk depends on local write permissions and whether the service is present.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory endpoints and servers for HID Global ActivIdentity 8.2.
- Check HID Global guidance for supported updates or configuration remediation.
- Restrict write permissions on directories in the affected service path.
- Remove or disable the affected component where it is not required.
- Prioritize remediation on shared systems, admin workstations, and high-value servers.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether ActivIdentity 8.2 is installed on Windows assets.
- Inspect the ac.sharedstore service path for unquoted spaces.
- Review directory permissions along the service path for non-admin write access.
- Check endpoint telemetry for suspicious executable creation in the service path.
- Use vulnerability management results to track remediation coverage.
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-428: 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 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-2021-47859 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
- 8.5 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/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:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
8.5HighVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- ExploitDB-49703CVE reference · exploit
- HID Global Official WebsiteCVE reference · product
- VulnCheck Advisory: ActivIdentity 8.2 - 'ac.sharedstore' Unquoted Service PathCVE reference · third-party-advisory
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.
Unquoted Search Path or Element
Unquoted Search Path or Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.