CVE-2021-41057
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 · uneditedIn WIBU CodeMeter Runtime before 7.30a, creating a crafted CmDongles symbolic link will overwrite the linked file without checking permissions.
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 confidenceWIBU CodeMeter Runtime before 7.30a fails to validate file permissions when processing symbolic links in the CmDongles directory. A local attacker can create a crafted CmDongles symbolic link to overwrite arbitrary files on the system without authorization, potentially leading to privilege escalation or data tampering.
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< 7.30a= 14>= 34.0.0, < 34.9.1>= 35.0.0, < 35.3.2< 12.2.6.1< 8.0< 2019= 2019all versions<= 2019CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 CodeMeter Runtime versionCheck the installed CodeMeter Runtime version. On Windows, check 'C:\Program Files (x86)\WIBU-Systems\CodeMeter\Runtime\bin\CodeMeter.exe' properties, or run 'CodeMeter.exe --version' if available. On Linux, check '/usr/bin/CodeMeter' or '/opt/codemeter/bin/CodeMeter' version information.Affected if The installed version is earlier than 7.30a (e.g., 7.20, 7.10, 6.x, etc.)
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Locate the CmDongles directoryFind the CmDongles directory. Default locations are typically 'C:\ProgramData\CodeMeter\CmDongles' on Windows or '/var/lib/CodeMeter/CmDongles' on Linux. Use file explorer or run 'dir /s C:\CmDongles' (Windows) or 'find / -name CmDongles -type d 2>/dev/null' (Linux).Affected if The CmDongles directory exists on the system.
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Check for symbolic links in CmDonglesList all symbolic links in the CmDongles directory. On Windows, run 'dir /a:L C:\ProgramData\CodeMeter\CmDongles' or use PowerShell 'Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ProgramData\CodeMeter\CmDongles -SymbolicLink'. On Linux, run 'ls -la /var/lib/CodeMeter/CmDongles/' and look for entries starting with 'l'.Affected if Any symbolic links are present in the CmDongles directory, as these could be attacker-created links for file overwrite.
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Verify CmDongles directory permissionsReview file permissions on the CmDongles directory. On Windows, right-click the folder, go to Properties > Security, or run 'icacls C:\ProgramData\CodeMeter\CmDongles'. On Linux, run 'ls -ld /var/lib/CodeMeter/CmDongles' and check group/world write permissions.Affected if The directory has weak permissions allowing unauthorized users to create files or symbolic links (e.g., broad write access to non-admin accounts).
A system is affected if CodeMeter Runtime version is below 7.30a AND the CmDongles directory exists with permissive permissions or contains symbolic links that could be exploited for arbitrary file overwrite.
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 · scoped7.30a8.012.2.6.1
Upgrade to CodeMeter Runtime 7.30a or later to obtain the patch. Additionally, restrict write access to the CmDongles directory and monitor for unauthorized symlink creation.
CodeMeter Runtime 7.30a or later (for Siemens products, consult Siemens for bundled CodeMeter-fixed releases)
- 1. Identify all systems running CodeMeter Runtime in your environment
- 2. Check the current version of CodeMeter Runtime installed on each system
- 3. For systems with CodeMeter Runtime < 7.30a, download CodeMeter Runtime version 7.30a or later from the official WIBU Systems website (wibu.com or cdn.wibu.com)
- 4. Before upgrading, ensure any critical data or configurations are backed up
- 5. Install the updated CodeMeter Runtime version on all affected systems
- 6. For Siemens products (Sicam 230, Simatic Information Server, Simatic Pcs Neo, Simatic Process Historian, Pss Cape, Pss E, Pss Odms), verify with Siemens cert-portal.siemens.com for product-specific updates that include the fixed CodeMeter Runtime
- 7. After upgrade, verify the symlink behavior is now restricted with proper permission checks
- 8. Document the update for compliance and audit purposes
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-41057 — 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-2021-41057 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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