Is CVE-2021-38442 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-38442 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-38442 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2021-38442 requires local access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-38442?

CVE-2021-38442 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2021-38442

CWE-119Published: October 18, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

FATEK Automation WinProladder versions 3.30 and prior lacks proper validation of user-supplied data when parsing project files, which could result in a heap-corruption condition. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-38442 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-119): Buffer overflow vulnerabilities can lead to arbitrary code execution or denial of service by corrupting adjacent memory.