CVE-2021-29094
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 · uneditedMultiple buffer overflow vulnerabilities when parsing a specially crafted file in Esri ArcGIS Server 10.8.1 (and earlier) allows an authenticated attacker with specialized permissions to achieve arbitrary code execution in the context of the service account.
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 confidenceMultiple buffer overflow vulnerabilities in Esri ArcGIS Server 10.8.1 and earlier allow an authenticated attacker with specialized permissions to achieve arbitrary code execution by parsing specially crafted 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<= 10.8.1CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/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 ArcGIS Server versionLocate the installed ArcGIS Server version using ArcGIS Server Manager, the installation directory, or system information tools. Common locations include the About page in ArcGIS Server Manager or the version file in the installation directory.Affected if The installed version is 10.8.1 or any earlier version (10.8, 10.7.1, 10.7, 10.6.1, 10.6, etc.)
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Verify authentication is required for exploitationConfirm whether ArcGIS Server is exposed to network access from untrusted users or if it is protected behind a firewall/VPN with access limited to authorized personnel only.Affected if ArcGIS Server is directly accessible from untrusted networks without proper access controls
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Identify users with specialized permissionsReview user roles and permissions in ArcGIS Server Manager. Check for users assigned to roles that include publishing privileges, site administration capabilities, or permissions to upload and process custom files.Affected if There are user accounts with elevated publishing or file processing permissions that could be compromised or misused
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Assess exposure to file parsing attack surfaceDetermine whether services are enabled that accept file uploads or parse external data sources (such as custom geoprocessing services, data file imports, or map package uploads). Review which services are published and accessible.Affected if Published services that accept and process uploaded files or external data files are accessible to authenticated users with appropriate permissions
You are affected if your ArcGIS Server version is 10.8.1 or earlier AND untrusted users can authenticate with elevated permissions that allow them to upload or parse specially crafted 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 ArcGIS Server to the vendor's patched version and ensure attackers cannot achieve the specialized permissions required for exploitation.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,928.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-29094 — 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-2021-29094 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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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.
- 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