CVE-2021-43978VulnerabilityPublished 8 Dec 2021Updated 30 May 2025

CVE-2021-43978: n/a

Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 07:57 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.1High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 55% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AC:L/AV:A/A:N/C:H/I:L/PR:N/S:U/UI:N

Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Vector: Adjacent
Availability: None
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: Low
Privileges Required: None
Scope: Unchanged
User Interaction: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Attack Vector: Adjacent: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack, but the attack is limited at the protocol level to a logically adjacent topology. This can mean an attack must be launched from the same shared physical (e.g., Bluetooth or IEEE 802.11) or logical (e.g., local IP subnet) network, or from within a secure or otherwise limited administrative domain (e.g., MPLS, secure VPN to an administrative network zone).
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 8 Dec 2021
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
n/a n/a	Affected =3.3.4152.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Since no official patches or vendor advisories are available, European organizations should take immediate compensating measures. First, restrict network access to Allegro Windows installations to trusted internal networks and limit exposure to the internet or untrusted zones. Employ network segmentation and firewall rules to minimize the attack surface. Conduct binary analysis to identify embedded credentials and consider replacing or recompiling binaries after removing hardcoded credentials if source code or vendor support is available. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on database systems to detect unauthorized access or anomalous activities. Use database-level authentication mechanisms independent of the embedded credentials, such as role-based access control and multi-factor authentication where possible. Regularly audit and rotate all database credentials and secrets. Additionally, organizations should engage with the software vendor or community to seek patches or updates and monitor threat intelligence feeds for any emerging exploits. Finally, ensure incident response plans are updated to address potential exploitation scenarios related to this vulnerability.

Description

Allegro WIndows 3.3.4152.0, embeds software administrator database credentials into its binary files, which allows users to access and modify data using the same credentials.

Impact

For European organizations using Allegro Windows 3.3.4152.0, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data stored in the associated databases. Unauthorized access could lead to exposure of personal data, intellectual property, or critical business information, potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. The integrity impact, while rated lower, still allows attackers to modify data, which could disrupt business operations, financial records, or compliance reporting. Given the lack of authentication and user interaction requirements, attackers with network access could exploit this vulnerability stealthily. This could lead to insider threats or external attackers gaining persistent access to critical systems. The absence of patches increases the urgency for organizations to implement compensating controls. The reputational damage and regulatory penalties resulting from data breaches or data manipulation could be severe for European entities, especially those in regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 8 Jul 2025, 15:40 UTC

Technical details

References

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