CVE-2021-44862 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Netskope's NSClient product, specifically versions 91.0 and prior. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-532, which involves the insertion of sensitive information into log files. In this case, the NSClient improperly logs sensitive data without masking or scrubbing it, allowing an authenticated local attacker to access confidential information by viewing these logs. Because the attacker must have local authenticated access, the initial attack vector is limited to users with some level of system access. However, once the sensitive information is obtained from the logs, the attacker can leverage it to download data and impersonate other users, potentially escalating privileges or exfiltrating sensitive organizational data. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as the attacker can compromise user identities and access controls. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.4 (high), reflecting the significant impact and relatively low complexity of exploitation (local access with low attack complexity and no user interaction required). No known public exploits have been reported in the wild, but the risk remains considerable due to the nature of the sensitive data exposure and potential for lateral movement or privilege escalation within affected environments.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2021-44862 can be substantial, especially in sectors where sensitive data confidentiality and user identity integrity are critical, such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure. The exposure of sensitive information in logs can lead to unauthorized data access, identity impersonation, and potential data breaches, which may result in regulatory non-compliance under GDPR and other data protection laws. The ability for an attacker to impersonate users can facilitate further attacks, including data exfiltration, sabotage, or fraud. Given that the vulnerability requires local authenticated access, insider threats or compromised user accounts pose a significant risk. Organizations using Netskope NSClient for cloud security and data protection may find their security posture weakened, undermining trust in their cloud access security broker (CASB) solutions. The integrity of audit trails and forensic investigations may also be compromised if logs contain unmasked sensitive information accessible to unauthorized users.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading Netskope NSClient to versions later than 91.0 where the issue is resolved. In the absence of an official patch, organizations should implement strict access controls to limit local authenticated access to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of malicious insiders or compromised accounts exploiting the vulnerability. Review and harden logging configurations to ensure sensitive information is not logged or is properly masked before writing to logs. Employ log monitoring and anomaly detection to identify unusual access patterns to log files. Additionally, enforce the principle of least privilege on endpoints running NSClient, and consider endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect suspicious local activities. Regularly audit user accounts and session activities to detect potential misuse. Finally, educate users and administrators about the risks of local credential compromise and the importance of safeguarding access credentials.