CVE-2021-36123
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 issue was discovered in Echo ShareCare 8.15.5. The TextReader feature in General/TextReader/TextReader.cfm is susceptible to a local file inclusion vulnerability when processing remote input in the textFile parameter from an authenticated user, leading to the ability to read arbitrary files on the server filesystems as well any files accessible via Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths.
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 confidenceEcho ShareCare 8.15.5 contains a local file inclusion vulnerability in the TextReader feature (General/TextReader/TextReader.cfm). The vulnerable textFile parameter accepts unsanitized user input, allowing authenticated attackers to traverse directory paths and read arbitrary files on the server filesystem. The vulnerability also supports Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path access, potentially exposing network-adjacent file resources.
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= 8.15.5CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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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Confirm Echo ShareCare versionCheck the application installation directory or product information to verify the exact version number matches 8.15.5. Look for version files, about pages, or administrative interfaces that display the product version.Affected if The installed version is Echo ShareCare 8.15.5 exactly
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Verify TextReader.cfm existsLocate the file General/TextReader/TextReader.cfm within the web application root directory. Use file system inspection or directory listing to confirm its presence.Affected if The vulnerable file TextReader.cfm exists in the application directory
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Confirm textFile parameter is accessibleReview the TextReader.cfm source code to verify it accepts a textFile parameter. Check if the parameter is processed without sanitization or validation.Affected if The textFile parameter is present and accepts user input without validation
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Check authentication requirementsDetermine whether the TextReader feature is accessible to authenticated users. Review access controls or session requirements for this endpoint.Affected if The TextReader feature is accessible to authenticated users without additional restrictions
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Test for path traversal accessIf you have authorized access, send a request to TextReader.cfm with a textFile parameter containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../) to verify if arbitrary files can be accessed.Affected if The application allows path traversal and returns contents of files outside the intended directory
The environment is affected if Echo ShareCare version 8.15.5 is running and the TextReader feature (General/TextReader/TextReader.cfm) is accessible to authenticated users without proper input validation on the textFile parameter.
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 dataImplement strict input validation and whitelisting for the textFile parameter to restrict file access to intended directories only. Consider using ColdFusion's DirectoryExists() and FileExists() functions with validated paths, and disable UNC path support if not required for business functionality.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-36123 — 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-2021-36123 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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