CVE-2021-21957
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2021-21957 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Dream Report ODS Remote Connector that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands with elevated privileges through command injection. This affects organizations using Dream Report ODS Remote Connector version 20.2.16900.0 for remote server functionality.
💻 Affected Systems
- Dream Report ODS Remote Connector
📦 What is this software?
Remote Connector by Dreamreport
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative privileges, allowing attackers to install malware, exfiltrate data, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data and system resources within the Dream Report environment.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and least privilege principles in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires providing a malicious file to the vulnerable component, which may require some level of access.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Update to version 20.2.16901.0 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2021-1384
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download latest version from Dream Report vendor portal. 2. Backup current configuration. 3. Install update following vendor instructions. 4. Restart services. 5. Verify functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Remote Server Functionality
windowsTemporarily disable the vulnerable Remote Server component if not required.
Stop the Dream Report ODS Remote Connector service
Network Segmentation
allRestrict network access to the Dream Report ODS Remote Connector to only trusted systems.
Configure firewall rules to limit inbound connections
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file upload validation and sanitization for the Remote Server functionality
- Apply principle of least privilege to service accounts running Dream Report components
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check installed version of Dream Report ODS Remote Connector. If version is exactly 20.2.16900.0, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
Check Dream Report About dialog or installation directory version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is updated to 20.2.16901.0 or later and test Remote Server functionality with safe test files.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to Remote Server component
- Unexpected process execution with elevated privileges
- Command injection patterns in logs
Network Indicators:
- Suspicious file transfers to Dream Report ODS Remote Connector port
- Unexpected outbound connections from Dream Report service
SIEM Query:
source="dream_report" AND (event_type="file_upload" OR process_execution="elevated")