CVE-2021-22038 json
On Windows, the uninstaller binary copies itself to a fixed temporary location, which is then executed (the originally called uninstaller e…
published 2021-10-29 5 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2021-9207
- cvss
- 8.8
- version 3.1, NVD
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 1.0%
- EPSS 1.0% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 62%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
On Windows, the uninstaller binary copies itself to a fixed temporary location, which is then executed (the originally called uninstaller exits, so it does not block the installation directory). This temporary location is not randomized and does not restrict access to Administrators only so a potential attacker could plant a binary to replace the copied binary right before it gets called, thus gaining Administrator privileges (if the original uninstaller was executed as Administrator). The vulnerability only affects Windows installers.
Patch / fix
- vmware installbuilder 21.6.0
Exploit prediction
0.99% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 62% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVD | 3.1 | 8.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVD | 2.0 | 6.5 | AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P |
Affected products
- n/a VMware InstallBuilder
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-330 Use of Insufficiently Random Values
References
-
blog.installbuilder.com
/2021/10/installbuilder-2160-released.html
release-notes, vendor-advisory
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2021-22038
- NVD CVE-2021-22038
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