CVE-2021-20131
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedManageEngine ADManager Plus Build 7111 contains a post-authentication remote code execution vulnerability due to improperly validated file uploads in the Personalization interface.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceManageEngine ADManager Plus Build 7111 has a post-authentication RCE vulnerability in the Personalization interface due to improperly validated file uploads. An attacker with valid credentials can upload malicious files that get executed on the server.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 7.1= 7.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed ADManager Plus versionCheck the build number in the product interface (typically found in About or version information) or by inspecting the installation directory for version files. Compare against build 7111 or version 7.1.Affected if Build number is 7111 or lower, or version is 7.1 or lower
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Confirm Personalization feature is accessibleLog into ADManager Plus and navigate to the Personalization section in the admin or settings interface to verify the feature exists and is accessible to the accountAffected if Personalization feature is present and available to authenticated users
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Verify authentication is requiredConfirm this vulnerability requires valid credentials - the attacker must have a valid user account to access the Personalization upload functionalityAffected if The environment uses ADManager Plus with user authentication enabled and Personalization uploads are permitted
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Review upload controls in PersonalizationInspect the upload mechanism in the Personalization interface - the vulnerability exists due to lack of proper file type validation and content inspection on uploaded filesAffected if No allowlist-based file validation, content-type checking, or file extension validation is implemented on uploads
User is affected if ADManager Plus build is 7111 or earlier (version 7.1 or lower), the Personalization feature is accessible, and unauthenticated or authenticated users can upload files without proper validation.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped7.1
Apply vendor patch/upgrade to a build beyond 7111, or implement strict file upload validation (allowlist approach, file type verification, content inspection, and upload directory isolation) in the Personalization feature.
ManageEngine ADManager Plus version 7.2 or later
- 1. Ensure you have a complete backup of your ADManager Plus installation and database before proceeding.
- 2. Download ManageEngine ADManager Plus version 7.2 or later from the official ManageEngine website (https://www.manageengine.com/products/ad-manager/).
- 3. Stop the ADManager Plus service.
- 4. Install the upgraded version following ManageEngine's standard upgrade procedures.
- 5. Verify the Personalization interface now properly validates file uploads.
- 6. Test that the application functions correctly after the upgrade.
- 7. Confirm the new build number reflects the patched version.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-20131 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-20131 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data