CVE-2021-28822

Local privilege escalation via external runtime artifact search

Published Mar 23, 2021 · Updated Sep 17, 2024

Uncontrolled search paths in TIBCO Enterprise Message Service products 8.5.1 and earlier allow local users to execute code with elevated privileges. The tibemsd, tibemsca, tibemsconf2json, and C API components search outside the installation hierarchy for runtime artifacts and load attacker-planted software. A low-privileged Windows account and access to a searched location are required; code runs at the affected component's privilege level.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled search paths in TIBCO Enterprise Message Service products 8.5.1 and earlier allow local users to execute code with elevated privileges. The tibemsd, tibemsca, tibemsconf2json, and C API components search outside the installation hierarchy for runtime artifacts and load attacker-planted software. A low-privileged Windows account and access to a searched location are required; code runs at the affected component's privilege level.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-28822
Published
Mar 23, 2021
Updated
Sep 17, 2024
Vendor
TIBCO Software Inc.
Product
TIBCO Enterprise Message Service - Community Edition
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 23, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 17, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <=8.5.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

TIBCO Software Inc. · TIBCO Enterprise Message Service - Community Editionversion=unspecified <=8.5.1
TIBCO Software Inc. · TIBCO Enterprise Message Service - Developer Editionversion=unspecified <=8.5.1
TIBCO Software Inc. · TIBCO Enterprise Message Serviceversion=unspecified <=8.5.1

Published CVSS scores

8.8TIBCO Software Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574Hijack Execution Flow

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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