Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Delta Electronics DIALink 1.2.4.0 and prior can load the wrong Windows library file. A local, low-privileged attacker could use that weakness to gain control of the system where DIALink is installed. This is high impact, but the provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority OT support-system issue where DIALink is installed on shared or lightly controlled Windows hosts. Urgency is lower if access is tightly restricted and vendor remediation is already applied.
Technical view
CVE-2021-38416 is CWE-427: uncontrolled search path element in Delta Electronics DIALink. CVSS 3.1 is 7.8 with local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The issue is DLL hijacking via insecure library loading.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to systems running Delta Electronics DIALink, especially versions 1.2.4.0 and prior. The affected entry also says “All,” so asset owners should verify exact affected versions against Delta or CISA guidance.
Exploitation context
The sources support local exploitation with low privileges and no user interaction. They do not support remote exploitation or confirmed exploitation in the wild. The CVE is not listed as CISA KEV in the provided bundle.
Researcher notes
The key exposure condition is local access to a host with vulnerable DIALink. The source bundle does not provide patch version, exploit maturity, or detailed affected CPEs. Avoid assuming broader Delta product impact without vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory systems running Delta Electronics DIALink.
- Confirm affected versions against the CISA advisory and Delta guidance.
- Apply vendor-provided updates or mitigations when available.
- Restrict local and interactive access to DIALink hosts.
- Prioritize monitoring on DIALink workstations in operational environments.
Validation and detection
- Search endpoint inventories for Delta Electronics DIALink installations.
- Record installed DIALink versions and compare with 1.2.4.0 and prior.
- Review CISA ICSA-21-294-02 for vendor remediation details.
- Confirm whether vulnerable hosts allow low-privileged local users.
- Check EDR logs for suspicious library-loading activity near DIALink.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-427: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-38416 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ics/advisories/icsa-21-294-02CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Uncontrolled Search Path Element
Uncontrolled Search Path Element represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.