InstallbuilderApplication · VMware
CVE-2021-22038
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 · uneditedOn Windows, the uninstaller binary copies itself to a fixed temporary location, which is then executed (the originally called uninstaller exits, so it does not block the installation directory). This temporary location is not randomized and does not restrict access to Administrators only so a potential attacker could plant a binary to replace the copied binary right before it gets called, thus gaining Administrator privileges (if the original uninstaller was executed as Administrator). 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 confidenceThe uninstaller binary on Windows copies itself to a fixed, predictable temporary location before execution, without restricting access permissions. A local attacker could exploit this TOCTOU (time-of-check-time-of-use) race condition by placing a malicious binary at the known temporary path to achieve arbitrary code execution with Administrator 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
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
- 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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Verify VMware Installbuilder is installedCheck for Installbuilder installation on Windows by looking in typical installation directories (e.g., Program Files, Program Files (x86)) or check Windows registry for installed software under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UninstallAffected if Installbuilder is present on the system
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Determine installed version of VMware InstallbuilderLocate the Installbuilder uninstaller or installer binary and query its version property, or check the Windows registry uninstall entry for the installed version numberAffected if The installed version is lower than 21.6.0 (e.g., 21.5.x, 21.4.x, earlier versions)
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Confirm operating system is WindowsVerify the target system is running Microsoft Windows, as this vulnerability only affects the Windows uninstaller binaryAffected if Running on Windows OS
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Inspect uninstaller behavior for temporary file placementWhen running the uninstaller, monitor file system activity to observe if it copies itself to a fixed, predictable temporary path before execution (this requires testing in an isolated environment)Affected if The uninstaller uses a non-randomized, predictable temporary file path for self-copying
A system is affected if it runs VMware Installbuilder version lower than 21.6.0 on Windows and contains the vulnerable uninstaller that copies to a predictable temporary location.
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
Implement randomized temporary file paths using secure methods (e.g., CreateFile with FILE_FLAG_DELETE_ON_CLOSE), apply restrictive ACLs to temporary directories, and use atomic file operations or file locking to prevent interception.
InstallBuilder 21.6.0
- Backup your current InstallBuilder installation and any existing installer projects
- Download InstallBuilder version 21.6.0 or later from the official source (installbuilder.com)
- Install the new version, overwriting the existing installation
- Rebuild all your Windows installers/uninstallers using the updated InstallBuilder
- Verify that the rebuilt uninstaller no longer uses a fixed temporary path
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Installbuilder
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-22038 — 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-2021-22038 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