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Hcl InotesApplication · Hcltech

CVE-2021-27760

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-05-06
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

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
An issue was discovered in the Sametime chat feature in the Notes 11.0 - 11.0.1 FP4 clients. An authenticated Sametime chat user could cause Remote Code Execution on another chat client by sending a specially formatted message through chat containing Javascript code.

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 · moderate confidence

A remote code execution vulnerability exists in IBM Notes 11.0-11.0.1 FP4 Sametime chat feature. An authenticated attacker can send specially formatted chat messages containing JavaScript code that executes on the victim's client when the message is received, allowing arbitrary code execution on the target machine.

MitigationApply vendor patches for IBM Notes to the latest supported FP level. Consider disabling or restricting Sametime chat functionality until patches are applied, or implement network-level message filtering for Sametime traffic.

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
Hcl InotesApplication
Affected:= 11.0.0= 11.0.1

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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 IBM Notes installation
    Check the system for IBM Notes or HCL Inotes installation. Look for the Notes client in Program Files or check for notes.exe process running.
    Affected if IBM Notes or HCL Inotes is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Run 'notes.exe -version' from the IBM Notes installation directory, or check the About section in the Notes client. Compare the version to the affected range 11.0.0 to 11.0.1.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 11.0.0 or 11.0.1 FP4 or earlier
  3. Confirm Sametime is enabled
    Check if the Sametime chat feature is configured or running. Look for Sametime-related processes, services, or check Notes client preferences for Sametime integration.
    Affected if Sametime chat functionality is enabled or configured in the Notes environment
  4. Inspect Sametime message handling
    Review Sametime chat logs or message storage directories for incoming chat messages. Check if the system accepts incoming Sametime communications.
    Affected if The system receives or processes incoming Sametime chat messages from other users

The environment is affected if IBM Notes versions 11.0.0 or 11.0.1 are installed AND Sametime chat feature is enabled and can receive incoming messages.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor patches for IBM Notes to the latest supported FP level. Consider disabling or restricting Sametime chat functionality until patches are applied, or implement network-level message filtering for Sametime traffic.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

HCL Notes 12.0.0 or later (any version beyond 11.0.1 FP4)

  1. 1. Verify current HCL Notes version by opening the application and checking 'File' > 'HCL Notes' > 'About HCL Notes'
  2. 2. Confirm the installed version is 11.0.0, 11.0.1, or any version up to and including FP4 (Feature Pack 4)
  3. 3. Download HCL Notes version 12.0.0 or later from the official HCL FlexNet license portal (https://www.hcltechsw.com/flexnet) or your authorized HCL partner
  4. 4. Ensure all users close their HCL Notes clients before proceeding
  5. 5. Run the installer with appropriate administrator privileges
  6. 6. Follow the on-screen installation prompts, selecting 'Upgrade' or 'Modify' as appropriate
  7. 7. After installation, verify the new version by checking 'File' > 'HCL Notes' > 'About HCL Notes' shows version 12.0.0 or higher
  8. 8. Test the Sametime chat functionality to confirm the feature works correctly post-upgrade
Caveat Upgrading to Notes 12 may require a new license file; verify your existing entitlements cover version 12 or obtain updated licenses from HCL

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Hcl Inotes Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,600
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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-2021-27760 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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