CVE-2021-38426
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 · uneditedFATEK Automation WinProladder versions 3.30 and prior lacks proper validation of user-supplied data when parsing project files, which could result in an out-of-bounds write. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code.
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 confidenceFATEK Automation WinProladder versions 3.30 and prior contains a buffer overflow vulnerability in its project file parser. The application fails to properly validate user-supplied data during project file parsing, leading to an out-of-bounds write condition that can be leveraged for arbitrary code execution.
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<= 3.30CVSS 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.
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Locate WinProladder installationSearch for WinProladder executable on the system - typical install locations may include C:\Program Files\FATEK or C:\Program Files (x86)\FATEK. Check Program Files directories or use file search for 'WinProladder.exe' or 'WinProladder' folders.Affected if WinProladder executable is found on the system
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Identify installed versionRight-click the WinProladder executable, select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view File Version. Alternatively, open WinProladder and check the About or Help menu for version information.Affected if Version displayed is 3.30 or any version prior to 3.30
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Confirm project file handling is usedDetermine if the system user works with WinProladder project files (.wlp or similar extensions). Check for recent project files in user directories or document whether project file open/save operations are performed.Affected if Users open or parse project files with WinProladder, enabling the vulnerable parser code path
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Review file origin controlsAudit whether project files opened by WinProladder come from untrusted sources - external emails, downloads from internet, or files transferred from other systems.Affected if Users routinely open project files from untrusted or external sources without verification
If WinProladder version 3.30 or prior is installed and users open project files with it, the environment is potentially affected by this buffer overflow vulnerability in the project file parser.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate WinProladder to a patched version if available; otherwise, implement controls to prevent opening untrusted project files, such as email/web filtering and user training, and apply network segmentation to limit exposure.
WinProladder version > 3.30 (contact FATEK Automation for exact fixed release)
- 1. Verify the current WinProladder version installed by checking the application properties or 'About' section
- 2. Contact FATEK Automation directly or visit their official website to obtain the latest version of WinProladder
- 3. Download the updated WinProladder software from the official FATEK Automation source
- 4. Before upgrading, backup any existing project files to prevent data loss
- 5. Uninstall the current version of WinProladder
- 6. Install the new version of WinProladder
- 7. Restore project files and verify the application functions correctly
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing8.0 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 $8,448.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38426 — 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-2021-38426 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
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