What it is
CVE-2021-44515 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central. Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central is vulnerable to authentication bypass, leading to remote code execution on the server,...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
Confirmed confidence
In CISA KEV
CVE-2021-44515
ManageEngine Desktop Central Authentication Bypass
Zoho / ManageEngine Desktop Central
- Severity
- CVSS 9.8 · Critical
- Confidence
- Confirmed
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 99.9%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is confirmed.
Who is affected?
Zoho / ManageEngine Desktop Central.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
ManageEngine Desktop Central Authentication Bypass
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.
- Published
- 12 Dec 2021
- Exploitation Reported
- 10 Dec 2021
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
Tags
nuclei_scanner
cisa
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-44515
- pitstop.manageengine.com/portal/en/community/topic/an-authentication-... pitstop.manageengine.com · CVE Record https://pitstop.manageengine.com/portal/en/community/topic/an-authent...
- manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/cve-2021-44515-auth... manageengine.com · CVE Record https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/cve-2021-44515-...
- cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/current-activity/2021/12/10/cisa... cisa.gov · CVE Record https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/current-activity/2021/12/10/cisa-add...
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CISA
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
Nuclei Templates
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2021-12-10 00:00 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-06-09 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Nuclei template detected 25 Apr 2025.
View Nuclei template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-44515.yaml | 25 Apr 2025 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
9.8
Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS
99.9%
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
9.8
Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v2.0
10.0
High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Zoho ManageEngine Desktop Central - Remote Code Execution
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
KEV confirmed by The Shadowserver
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2021-44515
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2021-44515",
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.99871,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.