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Enterprise Runtime For RApplication · Tibco

CVE-2021-23275

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-06-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 11.3.0 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
The Windows Installation component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R - Server Edition, TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R - Server Edition, TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R - Server Edition, TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace, TIBCO Spotfire Server, TIBCO Spotfire Server, TIBCO Spotfire Server, TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services, TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services, and TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services contains a vulnerability that theoretically allows a low privileged attacker with local access on some versions of the Windows operating system to insert malicious software. The affected component can be abused to execute the malicious software inserted by the attacker with the elevated privileges of the component. This vulnerability results from a lack of access restrictions on certain files and/or folders in the installation. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R - Server Edition: versions 1.2.4 and below, TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R - Server Edition: versions 1.3.0 and 1.3.1, TIBCO Enterprise Runtime for R - Server Edition: versions 1.4.0, 1.5.0, and 1.6.0, TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform for AWS Marketplace: versions 11.3.0 and below, TIBCO Spotfire Server: versions 10.3.12 and below, TIBCO Spotfire Server: versions 10.4.0, 10.5.0, 10.6.0, 10.6.1, 10.7.0, 10.8.0, 10.8.1, 10.9.0, 10.10.0, 10.10.1, 10.10.2, 10.10.3, and 10.10.4, TIBCO Spotfire Server: versions 11.0.0, 11.1.0, 11.2.0, and 11.3.0, TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services: versions 10.3.0 and below, TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services: versions 10.10.0, 10.10.1, and 10.10.2, and TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services: versions 11.1.0, 11.2.0, and 11.3.0.

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 confidence

This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Windows Installation component of TIBCO products (TERR-Server Edition, Spotfire Server, Spotfire Statistics Services). A low-privileged local attacker can insert malicious software into certain installation files/folders that lack proper access restrictions, causing that malware to execute with elevated privileges (the component's elevated permissions). The root cause is insecure file/folder permissions on the installation directory.

MitigationApply restrictive NTFS access control lists (ACLs) to the TIBCO installation directories and files, ensuring only authorized administrators and the service account have write/modify permissions; remove world-writable or group-writable permissions that allow low-privileged users to place files in protected locations.

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
Enterprise Runtime For RApplication
Affected:<= 1.2.4= 1.3.0= 1.3.1= 1.4.0= 1.5.0= 1.6.0
Spotfire Analytics PlatformApplication
Affected:<= 11.3.0
Spotfire ServerApplication
Affected:<= 10.3.12= 10.4.0= 10.5.0= 10.6.0= 10.6.1= 10.7.0= 10.8.0= 10.8.1= 10.9.0= 10.10.0= 10.10.1= 10.10.2
Spotfire Statistics ServicesApplication
Affected:<= 10.3.0= 10.10.0= 10.10.1= 10.10.2= 11.1.0= 11.2.0= 11.3.0

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed TIBCO products
    Check for presence of TERR-Server Edition, Spotfire Server, Spotfire Statistics Services, or Spotfire Analytics Platform on the system. Look in Program Files or custom installation directories.
    Affected if Any of the affected TIBCO products are installed on the system.
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate the TIBCO installation directory and check version information in product documentation, version files, or the installed binaries. Common locations include the product's main directory or subdirectories named after the product.
    Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions listed in the CVE: TERR <=1.2.4 or =1.3.0/1.3.1/1.4.0/1.5.0/1.6.0; Spotfire Server <=10.3.12 or =10.4.0/10.5.0/10.6.0/10.6.1/10.7.0/10.8.0/10.8.1/10.9.0/10.10.0/10.10.1/10.10.2; Spotfire Statistics Services <=10.3.0 or =10.10.0/10.10.1/10.10
  3. Inspect installation directory permissions
    Right-click the TIBCO installation folder, select Properties, then Security tab. Review the permissions for Users, Everyone, or other non-admin groups. Use icacls.exe from an elevated command prompt for detailed output.
    Affected if Users group, Everyone, or other low-privileged accounts have Write, Modify, or Full Control permissions on the installation directory or its subfolders.
  4. Check for weak ACLs on executable locations
    Examine permissions on subdirectories containing executables (.exe, .dll) within the TIBCO installation folder. Look for folders where low-privileged users can create or modify files.
    Affected if Non-admin users can write to folders that contain executables or configuration files used by the Windows Installation component.
  5. Verify service account privileges
    Open Services console, locate TIBCO-related services, check the account under which they run. Then verify if that service account has excessive file system access beyond what is necessary.
    Affected if The TIBCO service runs with elevated privileges and the installation directory allows write access by low-privileged users.

If a vulnerable TIBCO product version is installed AND the installation directory grants Write or Modify permissions to non-admin users, the environment is affected by this privilege escalation vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 11.3.0
Interim mitigation

Apply restrictive NTFS access control lists (ACLs) to the TIBCO installation directories and files, ensuring only authorized administrators and the service account have write/modify permissions; remove world-writable or group-writable permissions that allow low-privileged users to place files in protected locations.

Fix this in Enterprise Runtime For R Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-23275 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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