Privilege escalation in Cloudflare Octorpki
CVE-2021-3978
When copying files with rsync, octorpki uses the "-a" flag 0, which forces rsync to copy binaries with the suid bit set as root. Since the provided service definition defaults to root ( https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/blob/master/package/octorpki.service ) this could allow for a vector, when combined with another vulnerability that causes octorpki to process a malicious TAL file, for a local privilege escalation.
Vulnerability class: Privilege Escalation
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.001 (3.1th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 3rd percentile — 3.1% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.001 · newest: 0.001 · change: 0.000
Affected products
- Cloudflare Octorpki — versions 0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/security/advisories/GHSA-3pqh-p72c-fj85 (Vendor Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2021-3978?
- CVE-2021-3978 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cloudflare Octorpki, classified under Improper Privilege Management. CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2025-01-29.
- How severe is CVE-2021-3978?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.