CVE-2021-32957
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 · uneditedA function in MDT AutoSave versions prior to v6.02.06 is used to retrieve system information for a specific process, and this information collection executes multiple commands and summarizes the information into an XML. This function and subsequent process gives full path to the executable and is therefore vulnerable to binary hijacking.
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 confidenceMDT AutoSave versions prior to v6.02.06 contain a function that collects system information for a specific process by executing multiple commands and summarizing results into XML. This function returns the full path to the executable, allowing an attacker to manipulate the path and inject a malicious binary (binary hijacking). An attacker with local access could exploit this to execute arbitrary code.
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< 6.02.06>= 7.00, <= 7.04< 4.01= 5.00CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
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 installed MDT AutoSave versionOpen the application and navigate to Help > About, or locate the executable (typically named MDTautosave.exe or similar) and view its properties to see the file version. On Windows, you can also check Add/Remove Programs or the installed program's version information.Affected if The version is less than 6.02.06, or between 7.00 and 7.04 inclusive, or equal to 5.00 (for System Platform variant), or less than 4.01 (for System Platform variant).
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Locate the application executable directoryFind the folder where MDT AutoSave is installed. This is typically in Program Files or Program Files (x86) under an Auvesy or MDT folder, but verify the actual installation path from the executable properties.Affected if The application runs from a directory that is not protected against unauthorized binary placement (e.g., world-writable directories, directories with weak ACLs).
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Verify directory permissionsRight-click the application installation folder, select Properties, then Security tab. Check that Write and Modify permissions are restricted to administrators only and not granted to Everyone, Users, or other untrusted groups.Affected if Non-admin users have Write or Modify permissions to the application directory, allowing them to replace legitimate executables with malicious ones.
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Check for the vulnerable function executionReview any logs or audit the application behavior for execution of system information collection commands (such as tasklist, systeminfo, or similar) that output to XML. This function is invoked during specific operations and returns executable paths.Affected if The application executes the system information collection function and the returned path can be influenced by an attacker with local access.
You are affected if you have an installed version of Auvesy MDT AutoSave that falls within the affected ranges (prior to 6.02.06, or 7.00-7.04, or 5.00/less than 4.01 for System Platform) AND the application directory has weak permissions allowing unauthorized binary placement.
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 data4.016.02.06
Update MDT AutoSave to version 6.02.06 or later. As a temporary mitigation, ensure the application runs from trusted directories with restrictive permissions to prevent unauthorized binary placement.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-32957 — 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-2021-32957 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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