CVE-2021-40842

Proofpoint Insider Threat Management Server contains a SQL injection vulnerability in the Web Console. The vulnerability exists due to improper input validation on the database name parameter required in certain unauthenticated APIs. A malicious URL visited by anyone with network access to the server could be used to blindly execute arbitrary SQL statements on the backend database. Version 7.12.0 and all versions prior to 7.11.2 are affected.

Published: 2021-10-13 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2021-40842 is rated Moderate Risk (59.7/100): CVSS Critical severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.96%). Mandatory action: Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2021-40842

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 0.39% 0.96% +0.58%
2 2025-10-24 0.64% 0.39% -0.25%
3 2025-07-05 0.64%

Full EPSS history (13 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2021-40842

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
9.8 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
3.9 5.9 [email protected]
7.5 2.0 HIGH
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
10.0 6.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2021-40842

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-40842

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
proofpoint insider_threat_management_server < 7.11.2 cpe:2.3:a:proofpoint:insider_threat_management_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
proofpoint insider_threat_management_server 7.12.0 cpe:2.3:a:proofpoint:insider_threat_management_server:7.12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2021-40842

cvelogic Threat Intelligence