How severe is CVE-2021-38649?

CVE-2021-38649 has a CVSS score of 7/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-38649?

Affected package information for CVE-2021-38649 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38649?

Upgrade the affected component to the fixed release for CVE-2021-38649, or apply your distribution's backported patch — distro builds are often patched at an older version number, so check your vendor's advisory rather than the upstream version alone.

How do I detect CVE-2021-38649 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2021-38649 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Is CVE-2021-38649 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 1 known exploit references for CVE-2021-38649, including 1 in-the-wild exploitation observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2021-38649?

CVE-2021-38649 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 2.9%, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

Is CVE-2021-38649 in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog?

Yes. CVE-2021-38649 (Microsoft Open Management Infrastructure (OMI) Privilege Escalation Vulnerability) was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2021-11-03. CISA required all US federal civilian agencies to remediate this vulnerability by 2021-11-17. The required action was: Apply updates per vendor instructions. Being listed in the KEV catalog is the strongest possible confirmation of active exploitation — treat this as a critical priority.

When was CVE-2021-38649 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2021-38649 was published on September 15, 2021 and was last updated on October 20, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🛡️

CISA KEV · ACTIVELY EXPLOITED

HIGH severity

CVE-2021-38649 — omi

HIGH

CVE-2021-38649 is a high-severity (CVSS 7) vulnerability. It is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03) — treat it as actively exploited and patch now. A fix is available — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Published

Sep 15, 2021

Updated

Oct 20, 2026

Affected

11 products

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

1 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 23, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, CISA KEV, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

Confirmed by CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-11-03. Federal agencies were required to remediate by 2021-11-17.
A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.

Exploitation and automatability from CISA (KEV catalog and SSVC triage) for CVE-2021-38649.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

2.9%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs87th percentile — riskier than 87% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

CVE-2021-38649 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.

Where this sits among everything scored

Of 394,803 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.

Description

Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Affected Products

11 products · 11 configurations

Application

azure automation state configurationmicrosoft

all

Application

azure automation update managementmicrosoft

all

Application

azure diagnostics \(lad\)microsoft

all

Application

azure open management infrastructuremicrosoft

all

Application

azure security centermicrosoft

all

Application

azure sentinelmicrosoft

all

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

cisa.govCISANov 2021

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Fix
Upgrade the affected component to the fixed release for CVE-2021-38649, or apply your distribution's backported patch — distro builds are often patched at an older version number, so check your vendor's advisory rather than the upstream version alone.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Open Management Infrastructure Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2021-38649 in your dependencies?

Find it across , including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVE-2021-38649 — omi

Exploitation Status

Actively exploited in the wild

EPSS Exploitation Probability

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Description

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Fix

Workarounds

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2021-38649 in your dependencies?