Threats / Aviatrix / CVE-2021-40870
CVE-2021-40870
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-06-22
Aviatrix Controller vulnerability
Aviatrix Controller allows unauthenticated users to upload files with dangerous types and traverse directories, enabling arbitrary code execution.
Verdict
Today item — known-exploited.
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit unrestricted file upload combined with directory traversal to execute arbitrary code on the Aviatrix Controller, bypassing authentication controls entirely.
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreExploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
627 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2022-01-18).
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.92382 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: Aviatrix, Aviatrix Controller. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-25 CWE-25, CWE-96 CWE-96 — weakness family: Path traversal / file, Injection.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious file and submit it to the upload endpoint without credentials.
Business
Authentication controls are completely bypassed, exposing the system to any network-connected attacker.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I use directory traversal sequences to place my file outside the intended upload directory.
Business
File placement restrictions fail, allowing code to reach executable locations in the system.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I upload a dangerous file type that the application fails to validate or restrict.
Business
File type validation is ineffective, permitting executable content to be stored.
4
Data at risk — exfiltration narrative 4
Attacker
I trigger execution of the uploaded file through application logic or direct access.
Business
Arbitrary code runs with the privileges of the Aviatrix Controller process.
5
Lights out — disruption & extortion narrative 5
Attacker
I gain full control of the controller and pivot to compromise the entire network infrastructure.
Business
Critical infrastructure is compromised, enabling lateral movement and persistent access to cloud connectivity systems.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05