CVE-2021-44255
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 · uneditedAuthenticated remote code execution in MotionEye <= 0.42.1 and MotioneEyeOS <= 20200606 allows a remote attacker to upload a configuration backup file containing a malicious python pickle file which will execute arbitrary code on the server.
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 confidenceMotionEye allows authenticated users to upload configuration backup files. The application deserializes uploaded backup files using Python's pickle module without proper validation. A malicious pickle payload can execute arbitrary code on the server via the pickle deserialization process when the backup is restored.
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< 0.42.1< 20200606CVSS 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
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 MotionEye versionAccess the MotionEye web interface and navigate to 'About' or 'Info' section to view the installed version. Alternatively, check via command line if you have server access.Affected if Version is less than 0.42.1
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Check MotionEyeOS versionAccess the MotionEyeOS device via web interface and locate the version information in the system settings or login page footer.Affected if Version date code is earlier than 20200606
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Verify backup restore is accessibleLog into MotionEye as an authenticated user and check if the backup/restore configuration feature is available in the settings menu.Affected if Backup restore feature is enabled and accessible to authenticated users (the vulnerability requires this feature to be used)
You are affected if you run MotionEye < 0.42.1 or MotionEyeOS < 20200606 AND the backup restore feature is accessible to users who can upload and restore configuration backups.
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 · scoped0.42.120200606
Upgrade to MotionEye > 0.42.1 and MotionEyeOS > 20200606. As an interim measure, restrict backup file upload to trusted administrators only and monitor for suspicious backup restore activities.
MotionEye: upgrade to version 0.42.1 or later | MotionEyeOS: upgrade to version 20200606 or later
- 1. Back up the current MotionEye configuration to a safe location
- 2. For MotionEye (Python package): Upgrade by running 'pip install motioneye --upgrade' or download version 0.42.1 from the GitHub releases page
- 3. For MotionEyeOS: Download the updated image version 20200606 or later from the official releases and reflash the SD card
- 4. After upgrade, verify the new version is running by checking the MotionEye web interface footer
- 5. Restore the configuration backup through the web interface if needed
- 6. Test that the backup/restore functionality works correctly with the new version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,720.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-44255 — 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-2021-44255 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