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Brava\! DesktopApplication · Opentext

CVE-2021-31487

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-06-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of OpenText Brava! Desktop 16.6.3.84. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the parsing of DWF files. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a write past the end of an allocated buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-12715.

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

This is a buffer overflow vulnerability in OpenText Brava! Desktop 16.6.3.84's DWF file parser. The application fails to properly validate user-supplied data during DWF file parsing, allowing an attacker to write past the end of an allocated buffer. Successful exploitation requires a user to open a malicious DWF file or visit a malicious webpage, enabling arbitrary code execution in the context of the current process.

MitigationApply vendor patches when available. Until then, enforce strict policies preventing users from opening untrusted DWF files and restrict browsing to trusted websites. Consider deploying network-level controls to filter or block untrusted DWF file attachments.

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
Brava\! DesktopApplication
Affected:= 16.6.3.84

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Brava! Desktop installation
    Check for OpenText Brava! Desktop installation by looking in standard program directories (C:\Program Files\OpenText\Brava! Desktop or C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenText\Brava! Desktop), or query the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'Brava' or 'OpenText'.
    Affected if OpenText Brava! Desktop is found installed on the system
  2. Confirm installed version number
    Right-click on the Brava! Desktop executable (typically Brava.exe or a similar main binary in the installation directory) and select Properties, then inspect the Details tab for the Product Version. Alternatively, run: wmic product where "name like '%Brava%'" get version, name
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 16.6.3.84
  3. Determine DWF file handling capability
    Check if the DWF file type handler is registered with Brava! Desktop. Look for .dwf file associations in the registry under HKCR\.dwf or examine whether DWF files open with Brava! Desktop by default. Inspect the application's supported file type list in its configuration or about dialog.
    Affected if DWF files are associated with or can be opened by Brava! Desktop 16.6.3.84
  4. Assess user exposure vector
    Determine whether users have the ability to open DWF files from untrusted sources or browse untrusted websites. Check group policies, application whitelisting rules, and browser security settings. Query endpoint detection logs for recent .dwf file open events if available.
    Affected if Users can open DWF files from external/untrusted sources or visit malicious webpages through Brava! Desktop

A system is affected if OpenText Brava! Desktop version 16.6.3.84 is installed, DWF file handling is enabled, and users can open untrusted DWF files or visit malicious web pages that trigger the DWF parser.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor patches when available. Until then, enforce strict policies preventing users from opening untrusted DWF files and restrict browsing to trusted websites. Consider deploying network-level controls to filter or block untrusted DWF file attachments.

Fix this in Brava\! Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation10.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,690
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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-2021-31487 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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