CVE-2021-42098
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 · uneditedAn incomplete permission check on entries in Devolutions Remote Desktop Manager before 2021.2.16 allows attackers to bypass permissions via batch custom PowerShell.
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 confidenceRemote Desktop Manager versions before 2021.2.16 contain an incomplete permission check on stored entries (credentials/connections). Attackers with access to the application can exploit batch custom PowerShell functionality to bypass permission restrictions and access entries they should not have authorization to view or modify.
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< 2021.2.16CVSS 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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Check Remote Desktop Manager versionOpen the application and navigate to Help > About, or check the installed version through the Windows Programs and Features list, to determine the exact version numberAffected if The installed version is before 2021.2.16 (for example, 2021.2.15 or earlier)
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Verify stored entries existCheck if the Remote Desktop Manager database contains any saved credentials, connections, or entries by opening the application and examining the entry list panelAffected if There are saved entries (credentials or connections) stored in the application database
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Confirm user access to PowerShell featureCheck if the current user account has access to the batch custom PowerShell functionality by examining the application's toolbar, context menus, or automation/scripting features accessible within the user's roleAffected if The user can access or execute batch custom PowerShell scripts through the application's interface
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Review entry permissionsExamine the permission settings on individual stored entries to confirm whether permission restrictions are applied (look for access control settings, user-specific permissions, or restricted flags on entries)Affected if Stored entries have permission restrictions that should limit access but the batch PowerShell feature can bypass them
You are affected if your installed Remote Desktop Manager version is before 2021.2.16 AND you have stored credentials/connections AND users with limited permissions can access batch custom PowerShell functionality that bypasses those permissions.
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 · scoped2021.2.16
Update Remote Desktop Manager to version 2021.2.16 or later to obtain the vendor patch that corrects the permission check logic.
Remote Desktop Manager 2021.2.16 or later
- Backup your Remote Desktop Manager data and configuration before upgrading
- Download Remote Desktop Manager version 2021.2.16 or later from the official Devolutions website
- Close any running instances of Remote Desktop Manager
- Install the new version using the downloaded installer
- Launch Remote Desktop Manager and verify the application runs correctly
- Test that permission checks are properly enforced on entries
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-42098 — 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-2021-42098 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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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