CVE-2021-4037: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gvgr-4fph-m6hc
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CVSS 7.8
CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-4037 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-284: Improper Access Control) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-4037 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-4037
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gvgr-4fph-m6hc
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.8
CWE Classification CWE-284: Improper Access Control
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.8

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:H/I:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-4037

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-2021-4037, 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-284: Improper Access Control, where the product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor. 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

A vulnerability was found in the fs/inode.c:inode_init_owner() function logic of the LInux kernel that allows local users to create files for the XFS file-system with an unintended group ownership and with group execution and SGID permission bits set, in a scenario where a directory is SGID and belongs to a certain group and is writable by a user who is not a member of this group. This can lead to excessive permissions granted in case when they should not. This vulnerability is similar to the previous CVE-2018-13405 and adds the missed fix for the XFS.

References

NVD — CVE-2021-4037 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4037
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2022:19... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:1975
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2022:19... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:1988
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2022:48... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:4829
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2022:48... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:4835
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-4037
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2004810
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2027239
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-794697.html
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ss... WEB
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-806742.html
git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kerne... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=01ea173e103e
git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kerne... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=0fa3ecd87848
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/11/msg00001.html
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5257

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-4037?
CVE-2021-4037 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-284: Improper Access Control.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-4037?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-4037?
CVE-2021-4037 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-4037?
CVE-2021-4037 is classified under CWE-284: Improper Access Control (The product does not restrict or incorrectly restricts access to a resource from an unauthorized actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-4037?
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
View Raw JSON 
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  "id" : "GHSA-gvgr-4fph-m6hc",
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  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-4037" ],
  "details" : "A vulnerability was found in the fs/inode.c:inode_init_owner() function logic of the LInux kernel that allows local users to create files for the XFS file-system with an unintended group ownership and with group execution and SGID permission bits set, in a scenario where a directory is SGID and belongs to a certain group and is writable by a user who is not a member of this group. This can lead to excessive permissions granted in case when they should not. This vulnerability is similar to the previous CVE-2018-13405 and adds the missed fix for the XFS.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
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  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
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  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-08-24T16:15:00Z"
  }
}