# CVE-2021-42954: Misconfiguration in n/a

> Weak file permissions in the installation directory allow local attackers to escalate privileges, reset passwords, and steal sensitive data.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AC:L/AV:L/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:L/S:U/UI:N`)
- **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:** 17 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5984-mr35-258v

## What is CVE-2021-42954?

CVE-2021-42954 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 Nov 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Zoho Remote Access Plus Server Windows Desktop Binary fixed from 10.1.2121.1 is affected by incorrect access control. The installation directory is vulnerable to weak file permissions by allowing full control for Windows Everyone user group (non-admin or any guest users), thereby allowing privilege escalation, unauthorized password reset, stealing of sensitive data, access to credentials in plaintext, access to registry values, tampering with configuration files, etc.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-42954?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Zohocorp Manageengine Remote Access Plus.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-42954?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-42954 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-42954 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-42954 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2019-11361](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11361/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2021-41827](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41827/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-41828](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41828/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-41829](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41829/): Weak cryptography in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-42955](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-42955/): Auth bypass in n/a (high 7.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-42954 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-42954 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 Nov 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-2021-42954 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2021-42954/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-42954/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-42954
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-42954
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-42954

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-42954/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.