# CVE-2021-20148: Information disclosure in ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus

> Authenticated users in multi-domain configurations can read password policy files of other domains due to predictable file storage locations.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9gjj-g26q-4xmj

## What is CVE-2021-20148?

CVE-2021-20148 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plus, published on 3 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus below build 6116 stores the password policy file for each domain under the html/ web root with a predictable filename based on the domain name. When ADSSP is configured with multiple Windows domains, a user from one domain can obtain the password policy for another domain by authenticating to the service and then sending a request specifying the password policy file of the other domain.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-20148?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plus.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-20148?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-20148 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-20148 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plus

- [CVE-2021-40539](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-40539/): Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-28810](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-28810/): Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus Remote Code Execution (medium 6.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-3905](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3905/): Server-side request forgery in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-35854](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-35854/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-37422](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-37422/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-20148 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-20148 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plus, published on 3 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20148 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Zohocorp Manageengine Adselfservice Plus. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20148/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20148/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-20148
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20148
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-20148

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20148/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.