CVE-2021-28588
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 · uneditedAdobe RoboHelp Server version 2019.0.9 (and earlier) is affected by a Path Traversal vulnerability when parsing a crafted HTTP POST request. An authenticated attacker could leverage this vulnerability to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the current user. Exploitation of this issue does not require user interaction.
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 confidenceAdobe RoboHelp Server 2019.0.9 and earlier contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to craft malicious HTTP POST requests with directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../') to write files outside the intended directory, achieving arbitrary code execution in the context of the web server user.
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<= 2019.0.9CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Adobe RoboHelp Server installationLocate the RoboHelp Server installation directory and check for version files or use system inventory tools to identify if Adobe RoboHelp Server is installedAffected if Adobe RoboHelp Server is found with version 2019.0.9 or earlier
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Verify installed version against affected rangeCheck the installed version number - look in the application installation folder for version information or check system registry if on WindowsAffected if The installed version is 2019.0.9 or any earlier version (2019.x through initial releases)
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Assess network exposure of admin interfaceDetermine if the RoboHelp Server web administration interface is accessible from the network or internet without VPN or firewall restrictionsAffected if The admin interface is exposed to untrusted networks
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Review web server write locationsExamine the web server document root and related directories for unexpected files, particularly script files (.asp, .jsp, .php, .exe) that were not intentionally deployedAffected if Arbitrary or unexpected files exist outside the intended upload directories, especially in web-accessible locations
A user is affected if Adobe RoboHelp Server version 2019.0.9 or earlier is installed and the server admin interface is network-accessible, as authenticated attackers could exploit the path traversal to write malicious files.
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of Adobe RoboHelp Server (2020.x or later) that addresses this vulnerability. Additionally, enforce strict authentication controls and consider network segmentation to limit exposure of the RoboHelp Server administration interfaces.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-28588 — 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-2021-28588 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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