CVE-2021-33910: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-5337-wcgc-wcvp
CVSS 5.5
CWE-770
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-33910 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-33910 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-33910
GHSA Identifier GHSA-5337-wcgc-wcvp
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-33910

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

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

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-33910, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

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

Note: The mvn dependency:tree 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-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling, where the product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated. In Software, 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

basic/unit-name.c in systemd 220 through 248 has a Memory Allocation with an Excessive Size Value (involving strdupa and alloca for a pathname controlled by a local attacker) that results in an operating system crash.

References

NVD — CVE-2021-33910 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-33910
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/20256/commits/441e0115646d54f080e5c3bb0ba477c892861ab9
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/4a1c5f34bd3e1daed4490e9d97918e504d19733b
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/764b74113e36ac5219a4b82a05f311b5a92136ce
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/b00674347337b7531c92fdb65590ab253bb57538
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/systemd/systemd-stable/commit/cfd14c65374027b34dbbc4f0551456c5dc2d1f61
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/commit/b34a4f0e6729de292cb3b0c03c1d48f246ad896b
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/07/20/2
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4942
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211104-0008
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-48
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42TMJVNYRY65B4QCJICBYOEIVZV3KUYI
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2LSDMHAKI4LGFOCSPXNVVSEWQFAVFWR7
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42TMJVNYRY65B4QCJICBYOEIVZV3KUYI
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2LSDMHAKI4LGFOCSPXNVVSEWQFAVFWR7
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/systemd/systemd/releases
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-222547.pdf
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-222547.html
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163621/Sequoia-A-Deep-Root-In-Linuxs-Filesystem-Layer.html
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/08/04/2
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/08/17/3
Software Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/09/07/3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-33910?
CVE-2021-33910 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-33910?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-33910?
CVE-2021-33910 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-33910?
CVE-2021-33910 is classified under CWE-770: Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling (The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any intended restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-33910?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-5337-wcgc-wcvp",
  "modified" : "2026-10-14T12:31:20Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T19:08:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-33910" ],
  "details" : "basic/unit-name.c in systemd 220 through 248 has a Memory Allocation with an Excessive Size Value (involving strdupa and alloca for a pathname controlled by a local attacker) that results in an operating system crash.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
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  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42TMJVNYRY65B4QCJICBYOEIVZV3KUYI"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2LSDMHAKI4LGFOCSPXNVVSEWQFAVFWR7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/42TMJVNYRY65B4QCJICBYOEIVZV3KUYI"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2LSDMHAKI4LGFOCSPXNVVSEWQFAVFWR7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/systemd/systemd/releases"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-222547.pdf"
  }, {
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    "url" : "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html"
  }, {
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    "url" : "https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-222547.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163621/Sequoia-A-Deep-Root-In-Linuxs-Filesystem-Layer.html"
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    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/08/04/2"
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  "database_specific" : {
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    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-07-20T19:15:00Z"
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}