dbcve.org
EftlApplication · Tibco

CVE-2021-28823

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-03-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.6.0 or later.
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
The Windows Installation component of TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO eFTL - Community Edition, TIBCO eFTL - Developer Edition, and TIBCO eFTL - Enterprise Edition contains a vulnerability that theoretically allows a low privileged attacker with local access on some versions of the Windows operating system to insert malicious software. The affected component can be abused to execute the malicious software inserted by the attacker with the elevated privileges of the component. This vulnerability results from a lack of access restrictions on certain files and/or folders in the installation. Affected releases are TIBCO Software Inc.'s TIBCO eFTL - Community Edition: versions 6.5.0 and below, TIBCO eFTL - Developer Edition: versions 6.5.0 and below, and TIBCO eFTL - Enterprise Edition: versions 6.5.0 and below.

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 confidence

The Windows installer for TIBCO eFTL versions 6.5.0 and below contains a local privilege escalation vulnerability. Due to missing access restrictions on certain installation files and folders, a low-privileged user with local Windows access can place malicious software in protected locations, which the installer then executes with elevated (SYSTEM/administrator) privileges during normal installation or maintenance operations.

MitigationApply vendor patch/upgrade to TIBCO eFTL version 6.6.0 or later. As a temporary mitigation, restrict physical and terminal access to Windows systems where eFTL is installed, and audit installation directories for unauthorized files.

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
EftlApplication
Affected:< 6.6.0

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. Identify if TIBCO eFTL is installed
    Search the Windows system for TIBCO eFTL installation directories, typically under Program Files or Program Files (x86). Also check for TIBCO eFTL service entries in Windows Services.
    Affected if TIBCO eFTL software is found on the system
  2. Determine installed eFTL version
    Locate the TIBCO eFTL installation folder and look for version information in installer logs, readme files, or product documentation files. Check the Windows Programs and Features list for the installed version.
    Affected if Installed version is 6.5.0 or below (any version less than 6.6.0)
  3. Inspect installation folder permissions
    Right-click on the TIBCO eFTL installation directory in Windows Explorer, select Properties, then Security tab. Verify which users and groups have access and what permissions they hold.
    Affected if Low-privileged users (non-admin) have write or modify access to installation directories or subfolders
  4. Check for unauthorized files in installation paths
    Examine the TIBCO eFTL installation directory for any unexpected or malicious executable files (.exe, .dll, .bat, .ps1) that were not part of the original installation.
    Affected if Unexpected executable files exist in protected installation folders that low-privileged users should not be able to modify
  5. Audit installation folder integrity
    Compare the current installation files against known-good baselines or verify file hashes if available. Look for signs of tampering in system folders used during installation.
    Affected if Files in installation directories show signs of modification or do not match expected original installation contents

A system is affected if TIBCO eFTL version 6.5.0 or below is installed and the installation directories grant write access to low-privileged users, allowing them to place malicious executables that will run with elevated privileges during installation or maintenance operations.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.6.0 or later
Fixed in 6.6.0
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor patch/upgrade to TIBCO eFTL version 6.6.0 or later. As a temporary mitigation, restrict physical and terminal access to Windows systems where eFTL is installed, and audit installation directories for unauthorized files.

Fix this in Eftl Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2021-28823 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