# CVE-2021-36297: Other in SupportAssist Client Consumer

> Attackers can execute arbitrary code via DLL hijacking in Dell SupportAssist Client, requiring a specific non-default administrative action to trigger.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Sep 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6wmf-4rwp-j5x8

## What is CVE-2021-36297?

CVE-2021-36297 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dell SupportAssist Client Consumer, published on 28 Sep 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SupportAssist Client version 3.8 and 3.9 contains an Untrusted search path vulnerability that allows attackers to load an arbitrary .dll file via .dll planting/hijacking, only by a separate administrative action that is not a default part of the SOSInstallerTool.exe installation for executing arbitrary dll's,

Weakness: CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-36297?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Dell Supportassist for Home Pcs.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-36297?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-36297 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-36297 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-36297 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dell SupportAssist Client Consumer

- [CVE-2024-38305](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38305/): Privilege escalation in SupportAssist for Home PCs (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2023-48670](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-48670/): Privilege escalation in SupportAssist Client Consumer (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2023-25535](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25535/): Privilege escalation in SupportAssist Client Consumer (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2025-38738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38738/): Privilege escalation in SupportAssist for Home PCs (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2022-34366](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-34366/): Security feature bypass in SupportAssist Client Consumer (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-36297 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-36297 is a high-severity vulnerability in Dell SupportAssist Client Consumer, published on 28 Sep 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-36297 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dell SupportAssist Client Consumer. 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-2021-36297/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36297/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-36297
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-36297
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-36297

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-36297/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.