CVE-2021-4198
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 · uneditedA NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability in the messaging_ipc.dll component as used in Bitdefender Total Security, Internet Security, Antivirus Plus, Endpoint Security Tools, VPN Standalone allows an attacker to arbitrarily crash product processes and generate crashdump files. This issue affects: Bitdefender Total Security versions prior to 26.0.3.29. Bitdefender Internet Security versions prior to 26.0.3.29. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus versions prior to 26.0.3.29. Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools versions prior to 7.2.2.92. Bitdefender VPN Standalone versions prior to 25.5.0.48.
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 confidenceA NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in the messaging_ipc.dll component of multiple Bitdefender security products. An unauthenticated attacker can cause arbitrary process crashes and generate crashdump files, potentially leading to denial of service and information disclosure through the crash dumps.
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< 26.0.3.29< 7.2.2.92< 26.0.3.29< 26.0.3.29< 25.5.0.48CVSS 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
- Low
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/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 installed Bitdefender productsOpen Programs and Features in Windows Control Panel or use 'Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion' to list installed software and look for Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Security, Endpoint Security Tools, or VPN StandaloneAffected if Any of these Bitdefender products are listed with a version lower than 26.0.3.29 (Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Security), lower than 7.2.2.92 (Endpoint Security Tools), or lower than 25.5.0.48 (VPN Standalone)
-
Locate the messaging_ipc.dll componentCheck the Bitdefender installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Bitdefender\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Bitdefender\) and look for messaging_ipc.dll fileAffected if The messaging_ipc.dll file exists in the Bitdefender installation directory, indicating the vulnerable component is present
-
Verify product version against affected rangesRight-click the installed Bitdefender product in Programs and Features, select Properties, and check the Version field; or right-click the messaging_ipc.dll file, select Properties, and check the File VersionAffected if The installed version is below 26.0.3.29 for Antivirus Plus/Internet Security/Total Security, below 7.2.2.92 for Endpoint Security Tools, or below 25.5.0.48 for VPN Standalone
If any Bitdefender product from the affected list is installed with a version lower than the specified thresholds and the messaging_ipc.dll component is present, the system is vulnerable to CVE-2021-4198.
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 · scoped7.2.2.9225.5.0.4826.0.3.29
Upgrade Bitdefender products to the fixed versions: Total Security, Internet Security, and Antivirus Plus to version 26.0.3.29 or later; Endpoint Security Tools to 7.2.2.92 or later; VPN Standalone to 25.5.0.48 or later.
Upgrade to Antivirus Plus 26.0.3.29, Internet Security 26.0.3.29, Total Security 26.0.3.29, Endpoint Security Tools 7.2.2.92, or VPN Standalone 25.5.0.48 (as applicable)
- 1. Identify which Bitdefender product is installed (Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, Total Security, Endpoint Security Tools, or VPN Standalone)
- 2. Open the Bitdefender application
- 3. Navigate to the Help/About section to confirm the current version
- 4. For Antivirus Plus, Internet Security, or Total Security: Check for updates and upgrade to version 26.0.3.29 or later
- 5. For Endpoint Security Tools: Check for updates and upgrade to version 7.2.2.92 or later
- 6. For VPN Standalone: Check for updates and upgrade to version 25.5.0.48 or later
- 7. Alternatively, download the latest installer from the official Bitdefender website (www.bitdefender.com) and reinstall to ensure the latest fixed version
- 8. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release after upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,192.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-4198 — 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-2021-4198 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