CVE-2021-23205
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 · uneditedImproper Encoding or Escaping in Gallagher Command Centre Server allows a Command Centre Operator to alter the configuration of Controllers and other hardware items beyond their privilege. This issue affects: Gallagher Command Centre 8.40 versions prior to 8.40.1888 (MR3); 8.30 versions prior to 8.30.1359 (MR3); 8.20 versions prior to 8.20.1259 (MR5); version 8.10 and prior versions.
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 confidenceGallagher Command Centre Server has an improper encoding/escaping vulnerability that allows a Command Centre Operator to bypass privilege restrictions and alter the configuration of Controllers and other hardware items beyond their assigned privileges. This is a privilege escalation issue related to how the server handles operator commands for hardware configuration.
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<= 8.10>= 8.20, < 8.20.1259>= 8.30, < 8.30.1359>= 8.40, < 8.40.1888CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 Command Centre versionAccess the Command Centre server and navigate to Help > About, or check the Gallagher software installation directory for version metadata. Alternatively, query the system registry or use the Command Centre client to view server details.Affected if The installed version is <= 8.10, or >= 8.20 but < 8.20.1259, or >= 8.30 but < 8.30.1359, or >= 8.40 but < 8.40.1888
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Verify operator accounts existLog into Command Centre as an administrator and navigate to the Operator Administration panel. Review the list of configured operators who have access to the system.Affected if Any operator accounts with hardware configuration privileges are present in the system
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Check operator hardware privilegesIn Command Centre, examine each operator's assigned privileges, specifically looking for any hardware configuration, Controller configuration, or item management permissions. Access Operators > select operator > Privileges tab.Affected if Operators have been granted hardware configuration or Controller management privileges beyond their intended scope
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Audit hardware item access assignmentsReview the Access Zone and Item Zone assignments for Controllers and hardware items in the system. Check if operators have access to hardware items they should not be able to modify based on their assigned privileges.Affected if Operators can access or modify hardware items outside their assigned privileges
The environment is affected if the installed Gallagher Command Centre version falls within any of the vulnerable ranges AND operators with hardware configuration privileges exist in the system.
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 data8.20.12598.30.13598.40.1888
Apply the vendor-supplied patches for the specific version (8.40.1888+, 8.30.1359+, 8.20.1259+) and review operator privilege assignments to ensure proper separation of duties after patching.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 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 $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-23205 — 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-2021-23205 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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