# CVE-2021-4198: messaging_ipc.dll NULL Pointer Dereference in multiple Bitdefender products (VA-10016)

> An attacker can crash Bitdefender security products by triggering a null pointer dereference in the messaging IPC component.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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:** 7 Mar 2022
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6hmq-vw9f-p5pf

## What is CVE-2021-4198?

CVE-2021-4198 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, published on 7 Mar 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in the messaging_ipc.dll component as used in Bitdefender Total Security, Internet Security, Antivirus Plus, Endpoint Security Tools, VPN Standalone allows an attacker to arbitrarily crash product processes and generate crashdump files. This issue affects: Bitdefender Total Security versions prior to 26.0.3.29. Bitdefender Internet Security versions prior to 26.0.3.29. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus versions prior to 26.0.3.29. Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools versions prior to 7.2.2.92. Bitdefender VPN Standalone versions prior to 25.5.0.48.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-4198?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools, Bitdefender Internet Security, Bitdefender Total Security, Bitdefender Vpn Standalone.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-4198?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-4198 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-4198 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-4198 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

- [CVE-2020-8107](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-8107/): Process Control vulnerability in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2021-4199](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4199/): Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability in BDReinit.exe (VA-10017) (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2022-0357](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0357/): Improper Quoting Path Issue in Bitdefender Total Security (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2019-14242](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-14242/): Code injection in n/a (medium 6.7)
- [CVE-2017-6186](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6186/): Code injection in n/a (medium 6.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-4198 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-4198 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, published on 7 Mar 2022. 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-2021-4198 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Bitdefender Antivirus 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-2021-4198/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4198/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-4198
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4198
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-4198

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4198/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.