CVE-2021-38424
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 · uneditedThe tag interface of Delta Electronics DIALink versions 1.2.4.0 and prior is vulnerable to an attacker injecting formulas into the tag data. Those formulas may then be executed when it is opened with a spreadsheet application.
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 · moderate confidenceDelta Electronics DIALink versions 1.2.4.0 and prior contain a formula injection vulnerability in the tag interface. Attackers can inject malicious spreadsheet formulas (e.g., starting with =, +, -, @) into tag data fields. When the data is exported or opened in a spreadsheet application like Excel, these formulas are automatically executed, potentially leading to arbitrary command execution or data exfiltration.
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<= 1.2.4.0CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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.
-
Identify DIALink installation and versionLocate the DIALink application on the system and check the installed version number. This is typically found in the application itself (Help > About), the software installer, or the program files directory.Affected if The installed version is 1.2.4.0 or any earlier version (1.2.3.x, 1.2.2.x, etc.)
-
Confirm tag interface is in useAccess the DIALink tag interface where tag data fields are configured or managed. This is the specific module where the vulnerability exists.Affected if The tag interface is accessible and actively used for managing tag data entries.
-
Inspect tag data for formula charactersReview all tag data entries stored in DIALink. Examine the raw data in tag fields for the presence of spreadsheet formula characters at the start of values: equals sign (=), plus sign (+), minus sign (-), at symbol (@), or control characters like tab or carriage return.Affected if Any tag data field contains values beginning with =, +, -, @, tab, or carriage return characters.
-
Test data export functionalityIf accessible, use the export function in DIALink to generate a spreadsheet file (such as CSV or Excel format) from the tag data. Open the exported file in a spreadsheet application to observe if any formulas are interpreted or executed.Affected if Exported spreadsheet files automatically execute formulas or display unexpected formula behavior when opened.
A defender is affected if DIALink version 1.2.4.0 or prior is installed, the tag interface is accessible, and tag data contains values beginning with formula characters (=, +, -, @) that could be executed upon export or when opened in spreadsheet software.
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 dataUpdate DIALink to a version beyond 1.2.4.0 if a patch is available; otherwise, implement strict input validation in the tag interface to sanitize or reject formula characters (=, +, -, @, tab, carriage return) before storage.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38424 — 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-2021-38424 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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