CVE-2021-38163
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 · uneditedSAP NetWeaver (Visual Composer 7.0 RT) versions - 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, 7.50, without restriction, an attacker authenticated as a non-administrative user can upload a malicious file over a network and trigger its processing, which is capable of running operating system commands with the privilege of the Java Server process. These commands can be used to read or modify any information on the server or shut the server down making it unavailable.
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 confidenceSAP NetWeaver Visual Composer 7.0 RT versions 7.30-7.50 contain an unrestricted file upload vulnerability allowing any authenticated non-administrative user to upload malicious files. When processed, these files execute operating system commands with Java Server process privileges, enabling remote code execution, data exfiltration, or denial of service.
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= 7.30= 7.31= 7.40= 7.50CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer installationUse SAP transaction code SM51 to list installed server components, or check the system landscape for Visual Composer 7.0 RT. Look for 'Visual Composer' or 'VC' in the installed software components.Affected if SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer 7.0 RT is installed and running
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Determine the Visual Composer versionExecute SAP transaction code SM37 or check the Visual Composer version via the SAP NetWeaver Administrator (NWA). Navigate to Software -> Components in NWA to find the exact version of Visual Composer 7.0 RT.Affected if Version is 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, or 7.50 (exact match)
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Verify Visual Composer upload functionality is accessibleLog into the Visual Composer UI as a standard authenticated user (non-administrator). Navigate to the upload or file import feature within Visual Composer if present. Check if the upload endpoint is exposed via the Visual Composer servlet (e.g., /VC/upload or similar).Affected if Upload feature exists and accepts file submissions from authenticated users
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Check authorization roles for non-administrative usersUse SAP transaction code PFCG to review roles assigned to standard users. Examine if Visual Composer roles (e.g., SAP_VC_USER) grant upload or content creation permissions to non-administrative accounts.Affected if Standard authenticated users without administrator privileges can access upload or content creation functions
Your environment is affected if SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer 7.0 RT versions 7.30, 7.31, 7.40, or 7.50 is installed AND the upload functionality is accessible to authenticated non-administrative users.
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 dataRestrict and validate file uploads in Visual Composer, apply available SAP security patches, and limit user permissions to prevent unauthorized file processing. Consider network segmentation to limit exposure.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38163 — 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-2021-38163 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data