Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (CVE-2021-38648)
Published Last modified In CISA KEV since Sources: CVE.org
- Actively exploited
- Source: ANSSI / CERT-FR How we classify
- Public exploit
What is affected, what to do
Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
The vulnerability is being actively exploited; treat it as a priority. Update open_management_infrastructure to version 1.6.8-1. Immediate actions, mitigation and detection rules are in the runbook below.
- Affected
- Microsoft Azure Automation State Configuration, DSC Extension
gte 2.0.0..* - Microsoft Azure Automation Update Management
gte 1.0.0..* - Microsoft Azure Diagnostics (LAD)
gte 3.0.0..* - Microsoft Azure Security Center
gte 1.0.0..* - Microsoft Azure Sentinel
gte 1.0.0..* - Microsoft Azure Stack Hub
gte 1.0.0..* - Microsoft Container Monitoring Solution
gte 1.0.0..* - Microsoft Log Analytics Agent
gte 1.0.0..* - Microsoft Open Management Infrastructure
gte 16.0..* - Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (SCOM)
gte 1.0.0..*
- Microsoft Azure Automation State Configuration, DSC Extension
Not sure whether and how you are affected? Ask a question about this vulnerability
Metrics
7.8
Priority
XIEM Effective CVSS: highest available CVSS rating from NVD and vendor data.
Source: NVD, CVSS v3
7.8
CVSS v3
Severity High on the scale from 0 to 10.
Source: CVE.org
11.4 %
EPSS score
Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.
Source: FIRST EPSS, percentile 96.0
Show all metrics
- Severity
- Critical
Priority (0–325)
The priority score is a consolidated metric that condenses several individual signals into a single, action-guiding ranking: technical severity (CVSS), exploitation likelihood (EPSS), known-exploited status (KEV) and the context of the affected asset. The aim is to answer the only truly important question in vulnerability management: what first?
Read in glossary- 212.68 Methodology
Exploit maturity
An exploit is code or a technique that specifically uses a concrete vulnerability to force unintended behaviour — such as executing code or escalating privileges. It is the tool that turns a theoretical flaw into a practical attack.
Read in glossary- actively exploitedSource: ANSSI / CERT-FR How we classify
XIEM Effective CVSS
XIEM® is the tiered managed-security operating model from NEOSEC and a registered trademark of NEOSEC GmbH. It extends classic SIEM — the central collection, normalisation and correlation of security-relevant events — with endpoint forensics, network visibility and deception technology, and consolidates them into three building tiers: Sentry, Orchestrate and Command.
Read in glossary- 7.8 Methodology
CVSS v3
CVSS is the globally established, open standard for assessing the technical severity of a vulnerability on a scale from 0 to 10. It describes how easily a flaw can be exploited and what damage it can cause — but not how likely its actual exploitation is. CVSS and the complementary EPSS deliberately answer different questions.
Read in glossary- 7.8
EPSS score
The EPSS score is the absolute model output for an individual vulnerability: the estimated probability of real-world exploitation within the next 30 days, expressed as a value between 0 and 1 (i.e. 0 % to 100 %). A score of 0.42 means „the model estimates a 42 % chance of real-world exploitation within 30 days“.
Read in glossary- 11.4 %
- Elevated — model estimates 10-50% exploitation likelihood.
EPSS percentile
The EPSS percentile is the relative position of a vulnerability within all EPSS-scored CVEs, expressed as a value between 0 and 1. A percentile of 0.90 means „this CVE has a higher EPSS score than 90 % of all other scored CVEs“. Unlike the EPSS score, it is not a probability — but a positioning within a ranking.
Read in glossary- 96.0
- Critical — this CVE ranks in the top fifth of all CVEs scored today (rank ≥ 80%).
KEV status
The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.
Read in glossary- Actively exploited
- Published
In CISA KEV since
The KEV catalogue is a list maintained by the US authority CISA of vulnerabilities for which active exploitation in the wild has been confirmed. It answers not the question „how severe?“ but „is it already being attacked?“ — thereby sharply prioritising patching.
Read in glossary
Response and mitigation
Why act now?
Prioritisation rationale
This is a low-complexity local privilege escalation that needs only a low-privileged account and no user interaction, and it yields full root control. Attackers typically use it as a second stage after landing via a web app, container or stolen credentials, often together with the other OMIGOD bugs. The real risk is hidden sprawl: many organisations do not realise OMI is running as a root service across their Azure and hybrid Linux estate. Exploitation likelihood is very high relative to other CVEs, and CISA does not flag known ransomware use. Treat it as high priority wherever Azure Linux workloads or Sentinel/Log Analytics onboarding exist, especially on multi-user or internet-facing hosts. Downgrade only once your inventory proves OMI is absent.
Runbook step 1
Immediate response (0-24 h)
- Inventory every Linux host running OMI: In scope are Azure Linux VMs, on-prem servers and other-cloud servers running the Log Analytics (OMS) agent, Azure Diagnostics (LAD), the DSC extension, Update Management, Container Monitoring Solution, Sentinel/Defender connectors, and Azure Stack Hub. OMI is frequently installed silently alongside these extensions. Check with
dpkg -l omi,rpm -q omi, or/opt/omi/bin/omiserver --version. - Upgrade the OMI package: A patch is available from the vendor. Look up the fixed version in the Microsoft advisory for CVE-2021-38648. Upgrade via
packages.microsoft.comwithapt,yumorzypper, or by updating the relevant VM extension. Hosts outside Azure-managed auto-upgrade (on-prem, AWS, GCP, Azure Stack Hub) must be patched manually. - Audit extension versions in Azure: Use Azure Resource Graph or Defender for Cloud to list VMs that still carry outdated OMI-dependent extensions. Do not assume auto-upgrade has applied.
- Review local accounts on OMI hosts: Exploitation requires a low-privileged local account. Disable unnecessary user and service accounts and review SSH keys on affected hosts.
- Run a compromise assessment: Start with multi-user hosts and hosts running web or application services (likely low-privilege footholds). Look for unexpected root processes spawned under
omiagentoromiengine, using the detection rules below.
- Inventory every Linux host running OMI: In scope are Azure Linux VMs, on-prem servers and other-cloud servers running the Log Analytics (OMS) agent, Azure Diagnostics (LAD), the DSC extension, Update Management, Container Monitoring Solution, Sentinel/Defender connectors, and Azure Stack Hub. OMI is frequently installed silently alongside these extensions. Check with
Runbook step 2
Mitigation layers
- Network segmentation: Restrict the OMI management ports 5985/TCP, 5986/TCP and 1270/TCP with NSGs or host firewalls to designated management subnets only. This also cuts exposure to the sibling RCE CVE-2021-38647 (OMIGOD), which attackers commonly chain with this flaw.
- Endpoint hardening: If OMI is not functionally required, for example on legacy installs after migrating to Azure Monitor Agent, uninstall it or disable the
omidservice (systemctl disable --now omid). Validate monitoring dependencies first. - Filesystem permissions: Verify permissions on the local OMI socket under
/var/opt/omi/run/and on/etc/opt/omi/conf/. Unprivileged users should have no connect or write access beyond the vendor defaults. - IAM and least privilege: Limit interactive logons on monitoring and infrastructure hosts to named administrators (for example
AllowGroupsinsshd_config) and eliminate shared accounts. - Mandatory access control: Run SELinux or AppArmor in enforcing mode to constrain shell execution from
omiagentcontexts.
Runbook step 3
Detection rules
- Process ancestry (EDR or auditd): Shells such as
/bin/sh,/bin/bash,pythonorperlrunning asuid=0with parentomiagentoromiengine, triggered from a non-root user session. Sigma shape:ParentImage|endswith: '/omiagent' AND Image|endswith: ['/sh','/bash','/dash'] AND User: root. - auditd: The rule
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S execve -F euid=0 -F auid>=1000 -F auid!=4294967295 -k omi_lpecatches root execution carrying a user auid. Correlate hits whoseppidpoints to OMI processes. - Defender for Endpoint / Sentinel (KQL):
DeviceProcessEvents | where InitiatingProcessFileName in ("omiagent","omiengine") and FileName in ("sh","bash","dash") and AccountName == "root". Watch for command lines such asid,whoami,useraddorchmod u+s. - Persistence artefacts: New UID-0 accounts in
/etc/passwd, edits to/etc/sudoersor/root/.ssh/authorized_keys, and SUID binaries in/tmpor/dev/shmshortly after OMI activity (auditd-w /etc/sudoers -p wa). - Network telemetry (Zeek/Suricata): Inbound connections to 5985/5986/1270 from unknown sources. These indicate chaining with CVE-2021-38647 or the mass scanning seen after OMIGOD disclosure.
- Process ancestry (EDR or auditd): Shells such as
Detection rules
No NEOSEC detection rule is available for this vulnerability yet.
Classification under NIS2 and CRA
Rule-based classification from exploitation status and severity. It does not replace a case-by-case assessment.
NIS2
NIS2 is EU Directive (EU) 2022/2555 to raise the level of cybersecurity across the Union. It substantially broadens obligations compared with the first NIS directive: more sectors, mandatory risk management, staged reporting duties and personal accountability of senior management.
Read in glossary- Actively exploited: treat the vulnerability as a priority in vulnerability handling under Art. 21(2)(e) NIS2. If it is exploited in your environment, check the reporting obligation under Art. 23 (early warning within 24 hours).
CRA
The CRA is EU Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 setting horizontal cybersecurity requirements for „products with digital elements“ — from industrial controllers and software to connected consumer devices. For the first time manufacturers must ensure security across the entire product lifecycle, handle vulnerabilities and provide security updates.
Read in glossary- Since 11.09.2026, manufacturers of affected products with digital elements must report actively exploited vulnerabilities under Art. 14 CRA, with an early warning within 24 hours via ENISA's single reporting platform.
ISO/IEC 27001
ISO/IEC 27001 is the internationally leading standard for an information security management system (ISMS). It describes a risk-based, process-oriented framework to systematically plan, implement, review and improve information security.
Read in glossary- Control A.8.8, management of technical vulnerabilities: assess relevance to your systems, plan remediation and keep evidence.
Description
Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Source: CISA KEV Catalog, NVD (NIST), cvelistv5, CVE.org (MITRE)
Affected products
The following versions are affected. Older releases of the same product line are also vulnerable unless stated otherwise.
| Affected versions | Fixed in | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Azure Automation State Configuration, DSC Extension |
|
|
| Microsoft | Azure Automation Update Management |
|
|
| Microsoft | Azure Diagnostics (LAD) |
|
|
| Microsoft | Azure Security Center |
|
|
| Microsoft | Azure Sentinel |
|
|
| Microsoft | Azure Stack Hub |
|
|
| Microsoft | Container Monitoring Solution |
|
|
| Microsoft | Log Analytics Agent |
|
|
| Microsoft | Open Management Infrastructure |
|
|
| Microsoft | System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_automation_state_configuration |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_automation_update_management |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_diagnostics_\(lad\) |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_open_management_infrastructure |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_security_center |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_sentinel |
|
|
| microsoft | azure_stack_hub |
|
|
| microsoft | container_monitoring_solution |
|
|
| microsoft | log_analytics_agent |
|
|
| microsoft | open_management_infrastructure |
|
|
| microsoft | system_center_operations_manager |
|
|
Vendors and products
- Microsoft Azure Automation State Configuration
- Microsoft Azure Automation State Configuration, Dsc Extension
- Microsoft Azure Automation Update Management
- Microsoft Azure Diagnostics (lad)
- Microsoft Azure Security Center
- Microsoft Azure Sentinel
- Microsoft Azure Stack Hub
- Microsoft Container Monitoring Solution
- Microsoft Log Analytics Agent
- Microsoft Open Management Infrastructure
- Microsoft Microsoft System Center 2019 Operations Manager
- Microsoft System Center Operations Manager (scom)
Public exploit references
Publicly reported proof-of-concepts, exploit modules and detection templates for this vulnerability. NEOSEC links to the original sources only and does not provide any exploit code.
| CISA KEV Catalog | CISA Known Exploited Vulnerability (opens in a new tab)cisa.gov | actively exploited | |
| ANSSI / CERT-FRLicence Ouverte 2.0, as of | CERTFR-2021-ALE-020 – [Maj] Multiples vulnérabilités dans Microsoft Azure Open Management Infrastructure (clôturée 2022-01-05) (opens in a new tab)cert.cyber.gouv.fr | actively exploited | |
| Packet Storm | Microsoft OMI Management Interface Authentication Bypass (opens in a new tab)packetstormsecurity.com | PoC (publicly reported)reported, not verified | — |
References & sources
- portal.msrc.microsoft.comen-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-38648x_refsource_MISC, x_transferred
- packetstormsecurity.comfiles/164925/Microsoft-OMI-Management-Interface-Authentication-…x_refsource_MISC, x_transferred
- Microsoft Security Update GuideOpen Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityVendor advisory, Patch
- cisa.govknown-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-38648government-resource
- cert.cyber.gouv.frANSSI / CERT-FR: CERTFR-2021-ALE-020 – [Maj] Multiples vulnérabilités dans Microsoft Azure Open Management Infrastructure (clôturée 2022-01-05)cert-fr
Changes to this CVE
Who changed this CVE and when: NVD (analysis, affected products, CVSS), the CVE publisher (CNA) and additional providers such as CISA (ADP).
NVD analysis modifiedNVD
Product mapping changed:- Microsoft System Center 2019 Operations Manager
- Microsoft Azure Automation State Configuration
- Microsoft Azure Automation Update Management
- Microsoft azure diagnostics (lad)
- Microsoft Azure Open Management Infrastructure
- Microsoft Azure Security Center
- Microsoft Azure Sentinel
- Microsoft Azure Stack Hub
- Microsoft Container Monitoring Solution
- Microsoft Log Analytics Agent
- Microsoft Open Management Infrastructure (before 1.6.8-1)
Show 2 original changes
Individual changes of this event as published by NVD Type Action Before After Product configuration changed OR *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:system_center_operations_manager:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_automation_state_configuration:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_automation_update_management:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_diagnostics_(lad):-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_open_management_infrastructure:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_security_center:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_sentinel:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_stack_hub:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:container_monitoring_solution:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:log_analytics_agent:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*OR *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:system_center_operations_manager:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_automation_state_configuration:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_automation_update_management:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_diagnostics_(lad):-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_open_management_infrastructure:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_security_center:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_sentinel:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:azure_stack_hub:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:container_monitoring_solution:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:log_analytics_agent:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:open_management_infrastructure:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions up to (excluding) 1.6.8-1Reference type added —Microsoft Corporation: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38648 Types: Patch, Vendor AdvisorySource identifier: nvd@nist.gov
Record modifiedMicrosoft
Show 6 original changes
Individual changes of this event as published by NVD Type Action Before After Reference added —https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38648Reference removed http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164925/Microsoft-OMI-Management-Interface-Authentication-Bypass.html—Reference removed https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-38648—Reference type removed http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164925/Microsoft-OMI-Management-Interface-Authentication-Bypass.html Types: Exploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry—Reference type removed https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-US/security-guidance/advisory/CVE-2021-38648 Types: Patch, Vendor Advisory—Affected versions (publisher) changed Open Management Infrastructure, System Center Operations Manager (SCOM), Azure Automation State Configuration, DSC Extension (+7)Azure Automation State Configuration, DSC Extension, Azure Automation Update Management, Azure Diagnostics (LAD) (+7)Source identifier: secure@microsoft.com
Embed badge
Show the severity and KEV status of this vulnerability on your site – with a link back here. The image is updated hourly.
<a href="https://intel.neosec.eu/en/cve/CVE-2021-38648"><img src="https://intel.neosec.eu/badge/cve/CVE-2021-38648.svg?lang=en" alt="CVE-2021-38648 – NEOSEC Intel" height="20"></a>