CVE-2021-31489
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 · uneditedThis 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-12717.
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 confidenceA buffer overflow vulnerability in OpenText Brava! Desktop's DWF file parser allows remote code execution. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of user-supplied data during DWF parsing, leading to a write past the end of an allocated buffer. Exploitation requires the victim to open a malicious DWF file.
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= 16.6.3.84CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify if OpenText Brava! Desktop is installedCheck for Brava! Desktop in the list of installed programs via Control Panel > Programs and Features, or use command: 'wmic product get name,version' or 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion'Affected if OpenText Brava! Desktop is present on the system
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Confirm the exact installed version numberLocate the version information from the installation directory or program properties. Check the executable properties of the Brava! Desktop application file (typically named something like Brava.exe or similar in the installation folder)Affected if The installed version is exactly 16.6.3.84
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Verify DWF file handling capability existsCheck if DWF file type associations are registered with Brava! Desktop. Look for .dwf file extension handlers in the registry under HKCR\.dwf or by attempting to open a DWF file with the applicationAffected if DWF file handling is enabled and Brava! Desktop can open DWF files
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Inspect recent DWF file accessReview Windows Event Logs for recent .dwf file open events, or check the application's recent files list if available. Use PowerShell: 'Get-ChildItem -Path $env:USERPROFILE -Recurse -Filter *.dwf -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object FullName, LastWriteTime' to find DWF files on the systemAffected if Any untrusted or unknown DWF files have been opened with Brava! Desktop
A system is affected only if OpenText Brava! Desktop version 16.6.3.84 is installed AND DWF file handling is enabled, with the risk increasing if untrusted DWF files have been opened.
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 dataDisable or restrict automatic DWF file handling in Brava! Desktop, and warn users not to open untrusted DWF files until the vendor releases a patch.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-31489 — 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-2021-31489 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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