InstallbuilderApplication · VMware
CVE-2021-22037
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 · uneditedUnder certain circumstances, when manipulating the Windows registry, InstallBuilder uses the reg.exe system command. The full path to the command is not enforced, which results in a search in the search path until a binary can be identified. This makes the installer/uninstaller vulnerable to Path Interception by Search Order Hijacking, potentially allowing an attacker to plant a malicious reg.exe command so it takes precedence over the system command. The vulnerability only affects Windows installers.
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 confidenceInstallBuilder for Windows uses the reg.exe command to manipulate the registry but does not enforce a fully qualified path. This allows Search Order Hijacking where a malicious reg.exe in an earlier directory in the PATH could be executed instead of the legitimate system binary.
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
InstallbuilderApplication
< 21.6.0CVSS 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.
-
Identify InstallBuilder installation and versionCheck for InstallBuilder installation directory or look for installbuilder.exe in common locations such as C:\Program Files\InstallBuilder\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\InstallBuilder\. Check the version by examining the executable properties or using: dir "C:\Program Files\InstallBuilder\*" /s /b or dir "C:\Program Files (x86)\InstallBuilder\*" /s /bAffected if InstallBuilder version is found to be lower than 21.6.0
-
Confirm registry manipulation usageReview InstallBuilder project files (typically .ibp or .xml configuration files) for actions that invoke the reg.exe command. Search for patterns like '<registry>' or 'reg.exe' within the project configuration.Affected if The project configuration contains registry manipulation actions using reg.exe without fully qualified paths
-
Examine PATH for hijacking riskCheck the system PATH environment variable for directories that are writable by lower-privilege users and appear before C:\Windows\System32. Run: echo %PATH% from command prompt or inspect registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\EnvironmentAffected if The PATH contains user-writable directories (such as temp folders or application directories) positioned before System32, allowing potential placement of malicious reg.exe
-
Detect reg.exe execution during buildsMonitor or review build logs generated by InstallBuilder for occurrences of reg.exe commands being invoked. Look for command execution traces in build output files.Affected if Build logs or process monitoring shows reg.exe being called without fully qualified path C:\Windows\System32\reg.exe
You are affected if InstallBuilder version is below 21.6.0 AND your project configuration uses registry manipulation that invokes reg.exe, especially if your PATH has writable directories before System32.
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 · scoped21.6.0
Replace the reg.exe call with its fully qualified path (e.g., C:\Windows\System32\reg.exe) or use Windows API calls directly instead of command execution.
21.6.0
- Identify all InstallBuilder installations in your environment that are version lower than 21.6.0
- Upgrade InstallBuilder to version 21.6.0 or later
- Rebuild any Windows installers/uninstallers that were created with the vulnerable version of InstallBuilder
- Redeploy the rebuilt installers to replace any potentially compromised versions
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Installbuilder
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22037 — 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-2021-22037 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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