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Cerberus DmsApplication · Siemens

CVE-2021-37181

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-09-14
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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
A vulnerability has been identified in Cerberus DMS V4.0 (All versions), Cerberus DMS V4.1 (All versions), Cerberus DMS V4.2 (All versions), Cerberus DMS V5.0 (All versions < v5.0 QU1), Desigo CC Compact V4.0 (All versions), Desigo CC Compact V4.1 (All versions), Desigo CC Compact V4.2 (All versions), Desigo CC Compact V5.0 (All versions < V5.0 QU1), Desigo CC V4.0 (All versions), Desigo CC V4.1 (All versions), Desigo CC V4.2 (All versions), Desigo CC V5.0 (All versions < V5.0 QU1). The application deserialises untrusted data without sufficient validations, that could result in an arbitrary deserialization. This could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute code in the affected system. The CCOM communication component used for Windows App / Click-Once and IE Web / XBAP client connectivity are affected by the vulnerability.

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

An insecure deserialization vulnerability exists in the CCOM communication component of Cerberus DMS and Desigo CC products. The application deserializes untrusted data without sufficient validation, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution via malicious serialized objects.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patches (QU1 for v5.0 versions, or upgrade to patched versions for V4.x). If patching is not immediately possible, disable the CCOM Windows App/Click-Once and IE Web/XBAP client connectivity services and implement network segmentation to limit exposure.

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
Cerberus DmsApplication
Affected:= 4.0= 4.1= 4.2= 5.0
Desigo CcApplication
Affected:= 4.0= 4.1= 4.2= 5.0
Desigo Cc CompactApplication
Affected:= 4.0= 4.1= 4.2= 5.0

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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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. Identify installed product version
    Check the installed version of Cerberus DMS, Desigo CC, or Desigo CC Compact via the application's About section, Windows Programs and Features, or the installation directory's version info
    Affected if The installed version is 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, or 5.0
  2. Locate CCOM communication component
    Search for CCOM-related DLL files or services on the system. Common locations include the application installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Siemens\Desigo or Cerberus\) and check for files with 'CCOM' in the name
    Affected if CCOM component files exist on the system and the product version is in the affected range
  3. Verify CCOM service status
    Open Windows Services console (services.msc) and look for services related to CCOM, Click-Once, or IE Web/XBAP client connectivity that are associated with the Siemens product
    Affected if Any CCOM-related Windows services are running (started) on the system
  4. Check network exposure of CCOM
    Review network configuration or firewall rules to determine if the CCOM communication ports are exposed to untrusted networks. Check if the application is listening on ports typically used by CCOM
    Affected if CCOM services are listening on network-accessible ports without proper network segmentation

The system is affected if Cerberus DMS, Desigo CC, or Desigo CC Compact version 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, or 5.0 is installed with the CCOM communication component enabled and accessible.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch cert-portal.siemens.com →
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patches (QU1 for v5.0 versions, or upgrade to patched versions for V4.x). If patching is not immediately possible, disable the CCOM Windows App/Click-Once and IE Web/XBAP client connectivity services and implement network segmentation to limit exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Desigo CC/Cerberus DMS V5.0 QU1 (or later)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed Cerberus DMS or Desigo CC version in your environment.
  2. 2. For Cerberus DMS V5.0 and Desigo CC V5.0: Upgrade to version v5.0 QU1 (or later) which contains the vendor patch for this vulnerability.
  3. 3. For Cerberus DMS V4.0, V4.1, V4.2 and Desigo CC V4.0, V4.1, V4.2: These versions have no vendor-provided patch. Upgrade to Desigo CC V5.0 QU1 or later.
  4. 4. For Desigo CC Compact V5.0: Upgrade to V5.0 QU1 or later.
  5. 5. For Desigo CC Compact V4.0, V4.1, V4.2: These versions have no vendor-provided patch. Upgrade to Desigo CC Compact V5.0 QU1 or later.
  6. 6. After upgrading, verify the CCOM communication component is updated and running the fixed version.
  7. 7. Restrict network access to the CCOM component to reduce exposure from unauthenticated attackers.
Caveat Upgrading from V4.x to V5.0 may require compatibility testing with existing integrations and configurations

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Cerberus Dms Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing24.0 h
  • Review / QA12.0 h
60.0 hours of engineering $10,240
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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-2021-37181 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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