# CVE-2021-38965: Command injection in FileNet Content Manager

> Remote authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary commands on IBM FileNet Content Manager via specially crafted requests.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.3 (`CVSS:3.0/A:L/PR:L/AC:L/I:L/AV:N/S:U/C:L/UI:N/RL:O/RC:C/E:U`)
- **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:** 17 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h477-p4j9-h8jp

## What is CVE-2021-38965?

CVE-2021-38965 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in IBM FileNet Content Manager, published on 17 Jan 2022. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

IBM FileNet Content Manager 5.5.4, 5.5.6, and 5.5.7 could allow a remote authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system by sending a specially crafted request. IBM X-Force ID: 212346.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-38965?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Ibm Filenet Content Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-38965?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-38965 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-38965 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38965 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in IBM FileNet Content Manager

- [CVE-2018-1844](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1844/): XML external entity in FileNet Content Manager (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2020-4759](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4759/): Code injection in FileNet Content Manager (high 7.0)
- [CVE-2010-3320](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3320/): Open redirect in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2020-4447](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-4447/): Cross-site scripting in FileNet Content Manager (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2023-38366](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-38366/): IBM FileNet Content Manager directory traversal (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-38965 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-38965 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in IBM FileNet Content Manager, published on 17 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-2021-38965 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: IBM FileNet Content Manager. 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-2021-38965/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38965/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38965
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38965
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38965

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38965/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.