CVE-2021-41193: Avs Use Of Externally-Controlled Format String Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-2j6v-xpf3-xvrv
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-134
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-41193 is a HIGH (CVSS 9.8) use of externally-controlled format string vulnerability (CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String) affecting Avs libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves use of externally-controlled format string in wire-avs. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 7.1.12.

CVE-2021-41193 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-41193
GHSA Identifier GHSA-2j6v-xpf3-xvrv
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String
Affected Product Avs
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-41193

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Avs dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

com.wire:avs fixed: 7.1.12 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.wire</groupId>
    <artifactId>avs</artifactId>
    <version>7.1.12</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.wire

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-41193, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.wire

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Avs in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 7.1.12), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.wire command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String, where the product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source. In Avs, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact A remote format string vulnerability allowed an attacker to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code. ### Patches * The issue has been fixed in wire-avs 7.1.12 and is already included on all Wire products (currently used version is 8.0.x) ### Workarounds * No workaround known ### References * Fixed in commit https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/commit/40d373ede795443ae6f2f756e9fb1f4f4ae90bbe ### For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory feel free to email us at [vulnerability-report@wire.com](mailto:vulnerability-report@wire.com)

CVE-2021-41193 Affected Avs Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
7.1.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.wire:avs
maven/com.wire/avs
Maven
< 7.1.12
7.1.12

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/security/advisories/GHSA-2j6v-xpf3-xvrv
NVD — CVE-2021-41193 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41193
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/commit/40d373ede795443ae6f2f756e9fb1f4f4ae90bbe
Avs Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-41193?
CVE-2021-41193 is a security vulnerability in Avs involving Use of Externally-Controlled Format String in wire-avs under CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String.
Which Avs versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 7.1.12 across affected packages: com.wire:avs.
What version fixes CVE-2021-41193?
Upgrading to 7.1.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is avs affected?
Yes, com.wire:avs is affected in releases prior to 7.1.12. Upgrade your dependency to 7.1.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-41193?
CVE-2021-41193 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-41193?
CVE-2021-41193 is classified under CWE-134: Use of Externally-Controlled Format String (The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-41193?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.wire'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-2j6v-xpf3-xvrv",
  "modified" : "2022-03-10T15:59:41Z",
  "published" : "2022-03-01T18:58:23Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-41193" ],
  "summary" : "Use of Externally-Controlled Format String in wire-avs",
  "details" : "### Impact\nA remote format string vulnerability allowed an attacker to cause a denial of service or possibly execute arbitrary code.\n\n### Patches\n* The issue has been fixed in wire-avs 7.1.12 and is already included on all Wire products (currently used version is 8.0.x)\n\n### Workarounds\n* No workaround known\n\n### References\n* Fixed in commit https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/commit/40d373ede795443ae6f2f756e9fb1f4f4ae90bbe\n\n### For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory feel free to email us at [vulnerability-report@wire.com](mailto:vulnerability-report@wire.com)\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.wire:avs"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/security/advisories/GHSA-2j6v-xpf3-xvrv"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41193"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs/commit/40d373ede795443ae6f2f756e9fb1f4f4ae90bbe"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wireapp/wire-avs"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-134" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-03-01T18:58:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-03-01T19:15:00Z"
  }
}