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Endpoint AntivirusApplication · Eset

CVE-2021-37851

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-05-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.0.2053.0 / 8.0.10020.0 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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
Local privilege escalation in Windows products of ESET allows user who is logged into the system to exploit repair feature of the installer to run malicious code with higher privileges. This issue affects: ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 11.2 versions prior to 15.1.12.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Internet Security 11.2 versions prior to 15.1.12.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Smart Security Premium 11.2 versions prior to 15.1.12.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Endpoint Antivirus 6.0 versions prior to 9.0.2046.0; 6.0 versions prior to 8.1.2050.0; 6.0 versions prior to 8.0.2053.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Endpoint Security 6.0 versions prior to 9.0.2046.0; 6.0 versions prior to 8.1.2050.0; 6.0 versions prior to 8.0.2053.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Server Security for Microsoft Windows Server 8.0 versions prior to 9.0.12012.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET File Security for Microsoft Windows Server 8.0.12013.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange Server 6.0 versions prior to 8.0.10020.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Mail Security for IBM Domino 6.0 versions prior to 8.0.14011.0. ESET, spol. s r.o. ESET Security for Microsoft SharePoint Server 6.0 versions prior to 8.0.15009.0.

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

Local privilege escalation vulnerability in ESET Windows products where an authenticated user can exploit the installer repair feature to execute malicious code with elevated (SYSTEM) privileges. The repair mechanism lacks proper validation, allowing a low-privileged logged-in user to gain full system control.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches to update ESET products to the specified version thresholds (15.1.12.0 for consumer products, 9.0.2046.0/8.1.2050.0/8.0.2053.0 for Endpoint products, and corresponding versions for server products).

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
Endpoint AntivirusApplication
Affected:>= 6.0, < 8.0.2053.0>= 8.1, < 8.1.2050.0>= 9.0, < 9.0.2046.0
Endpoint SecurityApplication
Affected:>= 6.0, < 8.0.2053.0>= 8.1, < 8.1.2050.0>= 9.0, < 9.0.2046.0
File SecurityApplication
Affected:>= 6.0, < 8.0.12013.0
Internet SecurityApplication
Affected:>= 11.2, < 15.1.12.0
Mail SecurityApplication
Affected:>= 6.0, < 8.0.10020.0>= 6.0, < 8.0.14011.0
Nod32 AntivirusApplication
Affected:>= 11.2, < 15.1.12.0
SecurityApplication
Affected:>= 6.0, < 8.0.15009.0
Server SecurityApplication
Affected:>= 6.0>= 8.0, < 9.0.12012.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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. Identify installed ESET product
    Open Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) or run 'wmic product get name,version' to list installed software and look for ESET products such as ESET Endpoint Antivirus, ESET Endpoint Security, ESET File Security, ESET Internet Security, ESET Mail Security, ESET NOD32 Antivirus, ESET Security, or ESET Server Security.
    Affected if No ESET product is found, meaning the system is not running any of the affected products.
  2. Determine exact version of ESET product
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\ESET\ for the installed product, or right-click the ESET product in Programs and Features and select Properties to view the Version field.
    Affected if The installed version cannot be determined or is not visible.
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Match the installed version number to the affected version ranges: Endpoint products (Antivirus/Security) are vulnerable if < 8.0.2053.0 (6.x), < 8.1.2050.0 (8.1.x), or < 9.0.2046.0 (9.x); File Security if < 8.0.12013.0; Internet Security/NOD32 if < 15.1.12.0; Mail Security if < 8.0.10020.0 or < 8.0.14011.0; Security if < 8.0.15009.0; Server Security if < 9.0.12012.0.
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of the vulnerable version ranges listed.
  4. Confirm user context
    Verify that the currently logged-on user is a non-administrator or low-privileged account by checking User Account Control settings or examining local user group membership.
    Affected if The logged-in user already has administrative or SYSTEM privileges, as the exploit requires a low-privileged authenticated user.

The system is affected if an ESET product listed in the CVE is installed with a version falling within the specified vulnerable ranges and the logged-in user is a non-administrative account.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.0.2053.0 / 8.0.10020.0 / 8.0.12013.0 or later
Fixed in 8.0.2053.08.0.10020.08.0.12013.0
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches to update ESET products to the specified version thresholds (15.1.12.0 for consumer products, 9.0.2046.0/8.1.2050.0/8.0.2053.0 for Endpoint products, and corresponding versions for server products).

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to the minimum fixed version for your product line: Endpoint products to 8.0.2053.0/8.1.2050.0/9.0.2046.0; NOD32/Internet Security to 15.1.12.0; File Security to 8.0.12013.0; Server Security to 9.0.12012.0; Mail Security to 8.0.10020.0 or 8.0.14011.0; SharePoint Security to 8.0.15009.0

  1. 1. Identify the specific ESET product installed (e.g., Endpoint Antivirus, Internet Security, NOD32 Antivirus, Server Security, Mail Security, File Security).
  2. 2. Identify the currently installed version of the ESET product.
  3. 3. Navigate to the ESET product's Control Panel or use the About section to check the version number.
  4. 4. Download the appropriate fixed version from ESET support or the official ESET website:
  5. - For Endpoint Antivirus/Endpoint Security: upgrade to 8.0.2053.0, 8.1.2050.0, or 9.0.2046.0 (whichever branch is applicable)
  6. - For NOD32 Antivirus/Internet Security/Smart Security Premium: upgrade to 15.1.12.0
  7. - For File Security: upgrade to 8.0.12013.0
  8. - For Server Security: upgrade to 9.0.12012.0
Caveat Minor: Standard upgrade with no expected breaking changes; ensure backup of configuration settings before upgrade

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

Fix this in Endpoint Antivirus Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2021-37851 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data