# CVE-2021-38424: Delta Electronics DIALink

> Attackers can inject malicious formulas into DIALink tags that execute code when opened in spreadsheet applications, posing a risk to industrial control systems.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.9 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-39mq-9cjh-6382

## What is CVE-2021-38424?

CVE-2021-38424 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Delta Electronics DIALink, published on 3 Nov 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The tag interface of Delta Electronics DIALink versions 1.2.4.0 and prior is vulnerable to an attacker injecting formulas into the tag data. Those formulas may then be executed when it is opened with a spreadsheet application.

Weakness: CWE-1236 (Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-38424?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Deltaww Dialink.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-38424?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-38424 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-38424 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38424 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Delta Electronics DIALink

- [CVE-2025-58321](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-58321/): DIALink - Directory Traversal Authentication Bypass Vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2022-2660](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2660/): Hardcoded credentials in Industrial Automation DIALink (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-38418](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38418/): Delta Electronics DIALink (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-2969](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-2969/): ICSA-22-307-03 Delta Industrial Automation DIALink Path traversal (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2021-38416](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38416/): Delta Electronics DIALink (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-38424 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-38424 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Delta Electronics DIALink, published on 3 Nov 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38424 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Delta Electronics DIALink. 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-2021-38424/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38424/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38424
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38424
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38424

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38424/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.