CVE-2021-21085
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 · uneditedAdobe Connect version 11.0.7 (and earlier) is affected by an Input Validation vulnerability in the export feature. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by injecting a payload into an online event form and achieve code execution if the victim exports and opens the data on their local machine.
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 · moderate confidenceAdobe Connect versions 11.0.7 and earlier contain an input validation flaw in the export feature for online event forms. An attacker can inject malicious payloads into form fields, which then execute code on the victim's machine when the exported data is opened locally—likely through spreadsheet or document macros. This is a client-side code execution vulnerability triggered by server-side input sanitization failure.
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<= 11.0.7CVSS 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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Check Adobe Connect versionLocate the Adobe Connect installation directory or check the About section in the admin console. On Windows, common paths are C:\Program Files\Adobe\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\. In the admin interface, navigate to the version information typically found under Help > About Adobe Connect or access /version.xml via the web root.Affected if The installed version is 11.0.7 or earlier (any version up to and including 11.0.7).
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Verify online events module is enabledLog into the Adobe Connect Central Administration console. Navigate to the Online Events or Events section. Check if any online event templates, forms, or meeting templates are configured. Look for the presence of event-related modules under the Meetings or Events tab.Affected if The online events feature is enabled and contains any event forms that could be exported.
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Confirm export functionality is accessibleWithin the Online Events module, identify if there is an Export or Download option for event registration forms, attendee lists, or event data. This may appear as export buttons for CSV, Excel, or XML formats in the event management interface.Affected if Users with event management permissions can export form data to files that can be opened in spreadsheet or document applications.
You are affected if Adobe Connect version is 11.0.7 or earlier AND the Online Events export feature is in use, since exported files containing malicious payloads can trigger client-side code execution when opened locally.
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 dataUpgrade Adobe Connect to version 11.0.8 or later. Until patched, restrict form field input and warn users not to open exported files from untrusted sources.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-21085 — 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-2021-21085 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
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