# CVE-2021-20616: Privilege escalation in SKYSEA Client View

> An attacker can gain privileges by placing a malicious DLL in a directory searched by the SKYSEA Client View installer.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Jan 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qrhf-q88m-c43r

## What is CVE-2021-20616?

CVE-2021-20616 is a high-severity vulnerability in SKYSEA Client View, published on 13 Jan 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Untrusted search path vulnerability in the installer of SKYSEA Client View Ver.1.020.05b to Ver.16.001.01g allows an attacker to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in an unspecified directory.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-20616?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Skygroup Skysea Client View.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-20616?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-20616 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-20616 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20616 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in SKYSEA Client View

- [CVE-2016-7836](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-7836/): SKYSEA Client View Improper Authentication (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-41139](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41139/): Privilege escalation in SKYSEA Client View (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-41143](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-41143/): Privilege escalation in SKYSEA Client View (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2024-21805](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21805/): Missing authorization in SKYSEA Client View (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2020-5617](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5617/): Privilege escalation in SKYSEA Client View (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-20616 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-20616 is a high-severity vulnerability in SKYSEA Client View, published on 13 Jan 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-20616 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: SKYSEA Client View. 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-2021-20616/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20616/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-20616
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20616
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-20616

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-20616/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.