CVE-2021-27408
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 · uneditedThe affected product is vulnerable to an out-of-bounds read, which can cause information leakage leading to arbitrary code execution if chained to the out-of-bounds write vulnerability on the Welch Allyn medical device management tools (Welch Allyn Service Tool: versions prior to v1.10, Welch Allyn Connex Device Integration Suite – Network Connectivity Engine (NCE): versions prior to v5.3, Welch Allyn Software Development Kit (SDK): versions prior to v3.2, Welch Allyn Connex Central Station (CS): versions prior to v1.8.6, Welch Allyn Service Monitor: versions prior to v1.7.0.0, Welch Allyn Connex Vital Signs Monitor (CVSM): versions prior to v2.43.02, Welch Allyn Connex Integrated Wall System (CIWS): versions prior to v2.43.02, Welch Allyn Connex Spot Monitor (CSM): versions prior to v1.52, Welch Allyn Spot Vital Signs 4400 Device (Spot 4400) / Welch Allyn Spot 4400 Vital Signs Extended Care Device: versions prior to v1.11.00).
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 confidenceAn out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in multiple Welch Allyn medical device management tools that allows reading data beyond allocated memory boundaries. This information leakage can expose sensitive memory contents and, when chained with the related out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CVE-2021-27407), may enable arbitrary code execution on affected devices.
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< 1.8.6< 5.3< 2.43.02< 1.52< 2.43.02< 1.7.0.0< 1.10< 3.2CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 deployed Hillrom productLocate the product name and model number on the physical device label, management interface, or asset inventory records. Common product identifiers include: Connex Central Station, Connex Device Integration Suite Network Connectivity Engine, Connex Integrated Wall System, Connex Spot Monitor, Connex Vital Signs Monitor, Service Monitor, Service Tool, or Software Development Kit.Affected if Any of these eight product lines are present in the environment
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Check installed version numberAccess the device or software via its built-in menu (typically under Settings > About, System Info, or Service Info), connect via the service port using Hillrom Service Tool, or query the installed application for its version property. For software installations, check the application binary or installer properties.Affected if The version is lower than: CS < 1.8.6, NCE < 5.3, CIWS < 2.43.02, CSM < 1.52, CVSM < 2.43.02, Service Monitor < 1.7.0.0, Service Tool < 1.10, SDK < 3.2
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Confirm the software component is in useVerify that the affected software component or device is actively deployed and powered on. For integrated systems, confirm the Network Connectivity Engine service is running. For device management tools, confirm the application is installed and operational.Affected if The product is actively running or installed on the network
A user is affected if they have any Hillrom product from the list above running a version below the thresholds (CS < 1.8.6, NCE < 5.3, CIWS < 2.43.02, CSM < 1.52, CVSM < 2.43.02, Service Monitor < 1.7.0.0, Service Tool < 1.10, SDK < 3.2).
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 data1.7.0.01.8.61.10
Upgrade affected products to the patched versions: Welch Allyn Service Tool v1.10+, NCE v5.3+, SDK v3.2+, CS v1.8.6+, Service Monitor v1.7.0.0+, CVSM v2.43.02+, CIWS v2.43.02+, CSM v1.52+, and Spot 4400 v1.11.00+. Follow vendor's medical device update procedures including validation testing.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing16.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,152.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-27408 — 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-2021-27408 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