IRONSMITHINTEL
HIGHCVSS7.2
|
Actively Exploited
|CISA KEV|CVE-2021-22900|Auth: high — administrative privileges|Reboot: required|Manual only

Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure Unrestricted File Upload Vulnerability (CVE-2021-22900)

Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure contains an unrestricted file upload vulnerability that allows an authenticated administrator to perform a file write via a maliciously crafted archive upload in the administrator web interface.

Published May 27, 2021 · Updated May 17, 2026
Why patchRisk explained in plain English
Worst-case scenarioIf unpatched

A remote attacker, with administrative privileges, can achieve full data confidentiality loss, arbitrary modification of data, complete denial of service or system unavailability. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2022-05-03 under CISA BOD 22-01.

How the attack worksNo clicks needed

This is a Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Ivanti Pulse Connect Secure. A vulnerability allowed multiple unrestricted uploads in Pulse Connect Secure before 9.1R11.4 that could lead to an authenticated administrator to perform a file write via a maliciously crafted archive upload in the administrator web interface. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, an administrative account, and no user interaction required.

Am I affected?Quick check

Probably yes if any of these apply:

●Network Security Team
●Firewall Administrators
●IT Security
●Running connect secure: 9.0, 9.1; pulse connect secure: v ≤ 9.1
Real-world incidentsWhat we've seen

CISA added this CVE to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-11-03 based on evidence of active exploitation in the wild. Federal agencies required to remediate by 2022-05-03.

How to patch

Manual remediation steps

1
Identify affected hosts: query inventory for network-security installs in scope.
2
Apply the vendor security update referenced in CVE-2021-22900's advisory. No specific KB/version is encoded yet — consult the linked MSRC/vendor URL.
3
Verify the fix per the vendor's published verification steps.
4
Document the remediation in your change ticket and re-scan with your vulnerability scanner to confirm closure.
PowerShell automationComing soon

No tested PowerShell script for this entry yet. We’re prioritising automation based on user demand.

References

↗ CVE-2021-22900↗ MSRC Advisory↗ NVD↗ Vendor Advisory