CVE-2021-22506
CVE-2021-22506 is a security flaw in Micro Focus Access Manager. Attackers can read information from Micro Focus Access Manager that should be private. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Nov 2021.[1]
Micro Focus Access Manager is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Micro Focus has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an access manager information leakage in Micro Focus Micro Focus Access Manager. In its words: “Micro Focus Access Manager contains an information leakage vulnerability resulting from a SAML service provider redirection issue when the Assertion Consumer Service URL is used.”[1]
It scores 7.5 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Micro Focus’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Micro Focus Micro Focus Access Manager.
Most families won’t have Micro Focus Access Manager; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 222 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 17 Nov 2021 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 26%. That’s in the top 3% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Micro Focus has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Micro Focus Access Manager is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 17 Nov 2021 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.5.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 26%.[4] |
See also
Other Micro Focus flaws
- CVE-2021-22502, Micro Focus Operation Bridge Reporter (OBR): operation bridge report (OBR) remote code execution ·
Similar flaws
- CVE-2026-114625, Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2026-96655, Plex Media Server: server-side request forgery (SSRF) ·
- CVE-2026-96652, Plex Media Server: server-side request forgery (SSRF) ·
- CVE-2026-21589, Atlassian products: files or directories accessible to external parties ·
- CVE-2026-93616, Check Point products: path traversal ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-42258, BQE BillQuick Web Suite: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2021-42013, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-41773, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-40539, Zoho ManageEngine: aDSelfService plus authentication bypass ·
- CVE-2021-40444, Microsoft MSHTML: remote code execution ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Micro Focus Access Manager Information Leakage Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2021-22506 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 26 Mar 2021.
- ^ Micro Focus. Advisories and fixes: microfocus.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.257, percentile 98.0, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2021-22506”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.