CVE-2021-44515
Zoho Desktop Central contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the Desktop Central MSP server.
Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central is vulnerable to authentication bypass, leading to remote code execution on the server, as exploited in the wild in December 2021. For Enterprise builds 10.1.2127.17 and earlier, upgrade to 10.1.2127.18. For Enterprise builds 10.1.2128.0 through 10.1.2137.2, upgrade to 10.1.2137.3. For MSP builds 10.1.2127.17 and earlier, upgrade to 10.1.2127.18. For MSP builds 10.1.2128.0 through 10.1.2137.2, upgrade to 10.1.2137.3.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- pitstop.manageengine.com/portal/en/community/topic/an-authentication-bypass-vulnerability-identified-and-fixed-in-desktop-central-and-desktop-central-mspIssue TrackingVendor Advisory
- cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/current-activity/2021/12/10/cisa-adds-thirteen-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalogBroken LinkThird Party Advisory
- manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/cve-2021-44515-authentication-bypass-filter-configuration.htmlExploitPatch
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-44515US Government Resource
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 1767 days
- CVSS
- 9.8 CRITICAL
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 99.9% · top 1% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- NVD-CWE-noinfo
- Attack vector
- Network, remotely reachable
- Preconditions
- No privileges and no user interaction
- 1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Review exposure: confirm which instances are reachable from the internet and restrict access until patched.
- 4.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.