CRITICAL CVSS 9.1
Published: 2021-04-01

CVE-2021-20078

zohocorp manageengine_opmanager Security Advisory (CVE-2021-20078)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
Seeking technical exploit breakdowns or verified PoC code for CVE-2021-20078?
🔬 Search Writeups & Exploit Archive →

CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-20078 impacting zohocorp manageengine_opmanager. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 9.1 (CRITICAL).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Manage Engine OpManager builds below 125346 are vulnerable to a remote denial of service vulnerability due to a path traversal issue in spark gateway component. This allows a remote attacker to remotely delete any directory or directories on the OS.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product zohocorp / manageengine_opmanager
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-22

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-20078 impacting zohocorp manageengine_opmanager.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-20078.yaml
id: cve-2021-20078

info:
  name: zohocorp manageengine_opmanager - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: critical
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-20078 affecting zohocorp manageengine_opmanager.
    Evaluation: Manage Engine OpManager builds below 125346 are vulnerable to a remote denial of service vulnerability due to a path traversal issue in spark gateway ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-20078
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.1
    cve-id: CVE-2021-20078
    cwe-id: CWE-22
  tags: cve,cve-2021-20078,zohocorp,manageengine_opmanager,critical

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "manageengine_opmanager"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-20078.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-20078
# Target: zohocorp manageengine_opmanager | CVSS: 9.1 (CRITICAL)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-20078 (zohocorp manageengine_opmanager)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against zohocorp manageengine_opmanager scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-20078.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-20078
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install manageengine_opmanager 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade manageengine_opmanager 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update manageengine_opmanager

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i manageengine_opmanager 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i manageengine_opmanager

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-20078 in zohocorp manageengine_opmanager?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update zohocorp manageengine_opmanager packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-20078?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-20078?

CVE-2021-20078 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 9.1 (CRITICAL). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
9.1
CRITICAL SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-20078
Weakness CWE-22
Vendor zohocorp
Product manageengine_opmanager
Published 2021-04-01
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H