SolarWinds Orion API is vulnerable to an authentication bypass that could allow a remote attacker to execute API commands
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Now (action score 97/100)
- CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild (Nov 3, 2021). Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: May 3, 2022.
- A ready-made attack module is public (Nuclei); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 91.9% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.8% of all records.
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
- According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
- Mentioned 2 times in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Patch today or shut off access. Until a fix is released, restrict access to the affected component and follow the vendor's advisory.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · CISA KEV · FIRST EPSS
The SolarWinds Orion API is vulnerable to an authentication bypass that could allow a remote attacker to execute API commands. This vulnerability could allow a remote attacker to bypass authentication and execute API commands which may result in a compromise of the SolarWinds instance. SolarWinds Orion Platform versions 2019.4 HF 5, 2020.2 with no hotfix installed, and 2020.2 HF 1 are affected.
- Published
- Dec 29, 2020
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 91.9% · 99th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-288
Report tools
Action score
97
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 28 / 30 · 91.9%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- yes
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
Actively exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Nov 3, 2021. That signals real attacks, not theory.
Remediation deadline for US federal agencies: May 3, 2022.
Get told when this record changes
- In CISA KEV: exploitation in the wild confirmed
- Weaponized exploit exists
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| solarwinds | orion platform | cpe:2.3:a:solarwinds:orion_platform |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- solarwinds orion platform2019.4
- solarwinds orion platform2020.2
- solarwinds orion platform2020.2.1
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (certcc). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
SolarWinds Orion Platform
- 2019.4 HF 5, 2020.2 without hotfix, 2020.2 HF 1affected
Same product
solarwinds: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2022-36958SolarWinds Platform Deserialization of Untrusted Data59Plan
- CVE-2021-35218Chart Endpoint Deserialization of Untrusted Data Remote Code Execution Vulnerability58Plan
- CVE-2022-36961Orion Platform SQL Injection Privilege Escalation Vulnerability57Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2019-17127Jan 17, 2020 · A Stored Client Side Template Injection (CSTI) with Angular was discovered in the SolarWinds Orion Platform 2019.2 HF1 in many application f25Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2020-13169Sep 17, 2020 · Stored XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) exists in the SolarWinds Orion Platform before before 2020.2.1 on multiple forms and pages.37Monitor
- Later →CVE-2021-25274Feb 3, 2021 · The Collector Service in SolarWinds Orion Platform before 2020.2.4 uses MSMQ (Microsoft Message Queue) and doesn't set permissions on its pr50Plan
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Nuclei detection template ×2
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×3
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei detection template | Nuclei template CVE-2020-10148 | — |
| Nuclei detection template | Nuclei template solarwinds-orion-workflow | — |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:5 | 2020-12-29 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:10 | 2021-01-05 |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2026-06-04 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- First PoC-1 d
- Published
- CISA KEV+308 d
- TodayOct 21, 2026+2122 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
—
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
- CVE-2020-2787143 days apartThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to create arbitrary files on affected installations of SolarWinds Orion Platform 2020.2.1.55Plan
- CVE-2021-27277114 days apartThis vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of SolarWinds Orion Virtual Infrastructure Monito31Monitor
- CVE-2020-2787043 days apartThis vulnerability allows remote attackers to disclose sensitive information on affected installations of SolarWinds Orion Platform 2020.2.127Monitor
Bug bounty scope
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)
Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.
- TR-21-0100 · Feb 4, 2021(SolarWinds Zafiyeti)
- TR-21-0061 · Jan 25, 2021(SolarWinds Orion Zafiyeti)
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-288 · Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or ChannelCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Show all references (3 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.