CVE-2021-28814
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 · uneditedAn improper access control vulnerability has been reported to affect QNAP NAS. If exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to compromise the security of the software. This issue affects: QNAP Systems Inc. Helpdesk versions prior to 3.0.4.
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 confidenceThis is an improper access control vulnerability in QNAP Helpdesk application for NAS devices. Versions prior to 3.0.4 fail to properly restrict access to sensitive functionality or data, allowing remote attackers to bypass authentication or authorization controls and compromise the system's security.
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< 3.0.4CVSS 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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Verify QNAP Helpdesk is installedAccess the QNAP NAS web interface, navigate to App Center or the installed applications list, and confirm the QNAP Helpdesk application is present.Affected if QNAP Helpdesk is found installed on the NAS device.
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Check the installed Helpdesk versionIn the QNAP interface, access the application details for Helpdesk (typically via App Center > Helpdesk > Info or Settings) to view the current software version number.Affected if The displayed version number is lower than 3.0.4.
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Confirm the vulnerability conditionSince this CVE affects versions prior to 3.0.4, any installation with a version below 3.0.4 is potentially vulnerable to improper access control allowing authentication bypass.Affected if Installed version < 3.0.4 indicates the system is within the affected range and may be exploitable.
A system is affected if QNAP Helpdesk is installed with a version number lower than 3.0.4.
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.
dbcve · scoped3.0.4
Upgrade QNAP Helpdesk to version 3.0.4 or later to obtain the security fix. As this is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) remote access vulnerability, immediate patching is recommended after verifying backup integrity.
Helpdesk 3.0.4
- Log in to the QNAP NAS as an administrator
- Open the App Center or Helpdesk application management interface
- Locate the QNAP Helpdesk application
- Check the current installed version (should be below 3.0.4)
- Update the Helpdesk application to the latest available version (3.0.4 or later)
- Verify the update was successful and the new version is installed
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-28814 — 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-2021-28814 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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