dbcve.org
OpenofficeApplication · Apache

CVE-2021-28129

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-07
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
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
While working on Apache OpenOffice 4.1.8 a developer discovered that the DEB package did not install using root, but instead used a userid and groupid of 500. This both caused issues with desktop integration and could allow a crafted attack on files owned by that user or group if they exist. Users who installed the Apache OpenOffice 4.1.8 DEB packaging should upgrade to the latest version of Apache OpenOffice.

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

The Apache OpenOffice 4.1.8 DEB package was configured to install using a non-root uid and gid of 500 instead of standard root privileges. This misconfiguration causes desktop integration failures and creates a potential privilege escalation or file ownership attack vector if user/group 500 exists on the target system.

MitigationUpgrade to the latest Apache OpenOffice version which contains the corrected DEB package configuration with proper uid/gid settings.

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
OpenofficeApplication
Affected:= 4.1.8

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. Confirm OpenOffice 4.1.8 is installed
    Run 'dpkg -l | grep openoffice' or 'rpm -qa | grep openoffice' to list installed OpenOffice packages. Check version output for 4.1.8.
    Affected if OpenOffice version 4.1.8 is installed via DEB package (dpkg) on the system.
  2. Identify OpenOffice installation directory ownership
    Run 'ls -la /opt/openoffice4' or 'ls -la /usr/lib/openoffice' and examine the uid/gid columns for files and directories.
    Affected if Files or directories are owned by uid 500 or gid 500 instead of root (uid 0).
  3. Check DEB package configuration for uid/gid
    Run 'dpkg -L openoffice4.1.8 | head -20' to list package files, then use 'stat' on key files like '/opt/openoffice4/program/soffice' to check ownership.
    Affected if Installed files show ownership by uid 500 and gid 500.
  4. Verify if user/group 500 exists on the system
    Run 'id 500' or 'getent passwd 500' to check for a user with uid 500, and 'getent group 500' for group 500.
    Affected if User or group 500 exists on the system while OpenOffice files are owned by that uid/gid.
  5. Check OpenOffice desktop integration files ownership
    Run 'ls -la ~/.local/share/applications/' or '/usr/share/applications/' for OpenOffice .desktop files and check ownership.
    Affected if OpenOffice .desktop launcher files are owned by uid/gid 500.

A system is affected if OpenOffice 4.1.8 is installed via DEB package and its installation files or desktop integration files are owned by uid/gid 500 instead of root, especially if user/group 500 exists on the system.

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

Upgrade to the latest Apache OpenOffice version which contains the corrected DEB package configuration with proper uid/gid settings.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest Apache OpenOffice release (version 4.1.9 or later)

  1. 1. Uninstall the affected Apache OpenOffice 4.1.8 DEB package from your system
  2. 2. Download the latest available Apache OpenOffice installer from the official Apache OpenOffice website (www.openoffice.org) or your distribution's official repositories
  3. 3. Verify the integrity of the downloaded package using checksums if available
  4. 4. Install the latest version of Apache OpenOffice using your system's package manager (e.g., dpkg for Debian/Ubuntu)
  5. 5. After installation, verify that the package now installs with correct root ownership and proper desktop integration

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

Fix this in Openoffice Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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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-2021-28129 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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