CVE-2021-20722
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 · uneditedUntrusted search path vulnerability in the installers of ScanSnap Manager prior to versions V7.0L20 and the Software Download Installer prior to WinSSInst2JP.exe and WinSSInst2iX1500JP.exe allows an attacker to gain privileges and execute arbitrary code with the privilege of the user invoking the installer via a Trojan horse DLL in an unspecified directory.
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 confidenceUntrusted search path vulnerability in ScanSnap Manager (prior to V7.0L20) and Software Download Installer allows DLL hijacking via Trojan horse DLL placed in unspecified directories. When users execute the installer, the malicious DLL is loaded, enabling privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution with the invoking user's privileges.
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< 7.0l20CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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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Confirm ScanSnap Manager is installedCheck for ScanSnap Manager in Windows installed programs: Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product' in PowerShell and filter for ScanSnapAffected if ScanSnap Manager appears in the installed programs list
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Identify installed ScanSnap Manager versionOpen ScanSnap Manager, then go to Help > About ScanSnap Manager, or check the version in the Windows Programs and Features listAffected if The version shown is earlier than 7.0L20 (for example, 7.0.0, 6.x.x, etc.)
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Check the installer source directoryNote the directory from which you run the ScanSnap installer or WinSSInst2JP.exe/WinSSInst2iX1500JP.exe. Inspect this directory for any unexpected DLL files that are not part of the legitimate installer packageAffected if The installer is being run from a directory containing unsigned or suspicious DLL files that could be loaded via DLL hijacking
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Verify the ScanSnap installation directoryLocate the ScanSnap Manager installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\PFU\ScanSnap) and check for any unexpected DLL files that may have been placed thereAffected if The installation directory contains DLL files that are not part of the official ScanSnap Manager distribution
A user is affected if ScanSnap Manager version is detected as earlier than 7.0L20 AND the installer was run from or is located in a directory where an attacker could place a malicious DLL.
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.
From vendor data7.0l20
Deploy patched versions of ScanSnap Manager (V7.0L20 or later) and updated WinSSInst2JP.exe/WinSSInst2iX1500JP.exe. Ensure users obtain installers from trusted sources and avoid running installers from untrusted or shared network locations.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 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 $4,480.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-20722 — 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-2021-20722 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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