CVE-2021-44515

Zoho Desktop Central Authentication Bypass

9.8 CRITICALActively exploited (CISA KEV)Public exploitEPSS 99.9%

Published12 Dec 2021
Added to CISA KEV10 Dec 2021
Remediation due24 Dec 2021

Description

Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central is vulnerable to authentication bypass, leading to remote code execution on the server, as exploited in the wild in December 2021. For Enterprise builds 10.1.2127.17 and earlier, upgrade to 10.1.2127.18. For Enterprise builds 10.1.2128.0 through 10.1.2137.2, upgrade to 10.1.2137.3. For MSP builds 10.1.2127.17 and earlier, upgrade to 10.1.2127.18. For MSP builds 10.1.2128.0 through 10.1.2137.2, upgrade to 10.1.2137.3.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork

Attack complexityLow

Privileges requiredNone

User interactionNone

ScopeUnchanged

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Zohocorp Manageengine Desktop Central≥ 10.1.2128.0 < 10.1.2137.3 · < 10.1.2127.18

Remediation

Fixed in

Zohocorp Manageengine Desktop Central≥ 10.1.2137.3

Patch & vendor advisories

References

https://pitstop.manageengine.com/portal/en/community/topic/an-authentication-bypass-vulnerability-identified-and-fixed-in-desktop-central-and-desktop-central-mspIssue TrackingVendor Advisory
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-44515US Government Resource
https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/current-activity/2021/12/10/cisa-adds-thirteen-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalogBroken LinkThird Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/cve-2021-44515-authentication-bypass-filter-configuration.htmlExploitPatchVendor Advisory

Frequently asked

Is CVE-2021-44515 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-44515 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 10 Dec 2021.

How severe is CVE-2021-44515?

CVE-2021-44515 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 99.9% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2021-44515?

Affected products include Zohocorp Manageengine Desktop Central.

How do I fix CVE-2021-44515?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Zohocorp Manageengine Desktop Central 10.1.2137.3 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-44515 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, a risk for it never ranks below high, and the update that fixes it moves to the Emergency patch lane. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.