CVE-2021-38289
CVE-2021-38289 is a high-severity vulnerability in Novastar Novaicare with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-732.
Key facts
- Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.8)
- CVSS v2: 6.5
- EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (64th percentile)
- Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
- Weakness: CWE-732
- Affected product: Novastar Novaicare
- Published:
- Last modified:
Description
An issue has been discovered in Novastar-VNNOX-iCare Novaicare 7.16.0 that gives attacker privilege escalation and allows attackers to view corporate information and SMTP server details, delete users, view roles, and other unspecified impacts. NOTE: As of April 2026, the vendor has officially decommissioned the affected legacy endpoints and associated services. The vulnerability is mitigated as the functional logic is no longer operational and the URLs have been removed from production.
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2021-38289?
- An issue has been discovered in Novastar-VNNOX-iCare Novaicare 7.16.0 that gives attacker privilege escalation and allows attackers to view corporate information and SMTP server details, delete users, view roles, and other unspecified impacts. NOTE: As of April 2026, the vendor has officially decommissioned the affected legacy endpoints and associated services. The vulnerability is mitigated as the functional logic is no longer operational and the URLs have been removed from production.
- How severe is CVE-2021-38289?
- CVE-2021-38289 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
- Is CVE-2021-38289 being actively exploited?
- It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (64th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- What products are affected by CVE-2021-38289?
- CVE-2021-38289 affects Novastar Novaicare. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
- How do I fix CVE-2021-38289?
- Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
- When was CVE-2021-38289 published?
- CVE-2021-38289 was published on 2022-07-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.
References
- https://github.com/viperbluff/Novastar-VNNOX-iCare-Privilege-Escalation
- https://security.novaicare.com/advisory-cve-2021-38289.html
- https://twitter.com/viperbluff/status/1439941380244230150?s=20&t=iPSn8eNxaxUKis5OKSQJRQ
Affected products (1)
- cpe:2.3:a:novastar:novaicare:7.16.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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