CVE-2021-47896

HighPublic PoC

Published: 23 January 2026

Published

23 January 2026

Modified

15 April 2026

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 7.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0002 4.9th percentile

Risk Priority 16 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2021-47896 is a high-severity Unquoted Search Path or Element (CWE-428) vulnerability in Informer (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).

Operationally, ranked at the 4.9th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match

prevent

Requires secure configuration settings for the pdfcDispatcher service, including quoted executable paths, to directly prevent exploitation of the unquoted service path vulnerability.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Mandates timely identification, reporting, and remediation of flaws like the unquoted service path in PDF Complete Corporate Edition to eliminate the vulnerability.

AC-6 Least Privilege partial match

prevent

Enforces least privilege for services like pdfcDispatcher, reducing the impact of arbitrary code execution even if the unquoted path is exploited.

NVD Description

PDF Complete Corporate Edition 4.1.45 contains an unquoted service path vulnerability in the pdfcDispatcher service that allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code. Attackers can exploit the unquoted path in the service binary location to inject malicious executables that…

will be run with elevated LocalSystem privileges.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2021-47896 is an unquoted service path vulnerability in PDF Complete Corporate Edition 4.1.45, specifically affecting the pdfcDispatcher service. This issue, mapped to CWE-428, arises from an unquoted path in the service binary location, allowing local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code by placing malicious executables in directories that the service searches prior to locating the legitimate binary. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and was published on 2026-01-23.

Local attackers with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability through a straightforward attack requiring low complexity and no user interaction. By injecting a malicious executable into an appropriate directory, the attacker tricks the pdfcDispatcher service into running it with elevated LocalSystem privileges, achieving high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Advisories referenced in VulnCheck and Exploit-DB (exploit ID 49558) document the unquoted path flaw and provide proof-of-concept exploitation details. Additional resources include the PDF Complete download and support pages, though no specific patch or mitigation steps are outlined in the core description. Security practitioners should verify vendor updates directly from official channels.