Critical Remote Code Execution in ForgeRock Access Management (CVE‑2021‑35464) Threatens Identity Platforms
What It Is – ForgeRock Access Management (AM) Core Server contains an input‑validation flaw that allows an unauthenticated attacker to send a crafted HTTP request to /ccversion/Version, /ccversion/Masthead, or /ccversion/ButtonFrame and achieve code execution in the context of the current user.
Exploitability – The vulnerability is publicly disclosed (CVE‑2021‑35464) and assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (Critical). No public exploit code has been observed, but the attack vector is trivial (HTTP request) and can be weaponized quickly.
Affected Products – ForgeRock Access Management (AM) Core Server (any version prior to the vendor’s security patch released 2022‑01‑12).
Why It Matters for Trust & Control Assurance
- Control Objective – Secure Configuration & Access Controls – The flaw demonstrates a gap in input validation and privileged‑service configuration, a core control that maps to many frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF Identify & Protect).
- Continuous Evidence – Demonstrating that the vulnerable endpoint is patched, logged, and monitored provides defensible audit evidence of due‑diligence.
- Enterprise Buyer Expectation – Organizations now demand proof that IAM components are hardened and that any deviation is captured in a trusted control repository.
Recommended Actions
- Apply ForgeRock’s patch immediately and verify the running version.
- Restrict access to the three
/ccversion/*endpoints via network segmentation or a Web Application Firewall rule. - Enable detailed logging for all requests to these endpoints and feed logs into a SIEM for anomaly detection.
- Conduct a control‑mapping review to ensure the “secure configuration” objective is documented, monitored, and evidence is retained for audit.
- Validate that the AM service is not running as root; re‑configure to a non‑privileged account if necessary.
Source: CISA KEV – CVE‑2021‑35464