CVE-2021-3986: Calibreweb Generation Of Error Message Containing Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m982-h4f8-g4hf
Share
CVSS 4.3
CWE-209
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-3986 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) generation of error message containing vulnerability (CWE-209: Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information) affecting Calibreweb libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves generation of error message containing sensitive information in janeczku/calibre-web. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.6.15.

CVE-2021-3986 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-3986
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m982-h4f8-g4hf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-209: Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information
Affected Product Calibreweb
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-3986

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

calibreweb fixed: 0.6.15 
pip install calibreweb>=0.6.15
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

pip show calibreweb

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2021-3986, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show calibreweb

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Calibreweb in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.6.15), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show calibreweb command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-209: Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information, where the product generates an error message that includes sensitive information about its environment, users, or associated data. In Calibreweb, 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 in janeczku/calibre-web allows unauthorized users to view the names of private shelves belonging to other users. This issue occurs in the file shelf.py at line 221, where the name of the shelf is exposed in an error message when a user attempts to remove a book from a shelf they do not own. This vulnerability discloses private information and affects all versions prior to the fix.

CVE-2021-3986 Affected Calibreweb Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.6.15
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
calibreweb
pypi/calibreweb
PyPI
< 0.6.15
0.6.15

References

NVD — CVE-2021-3986 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3986
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web/commit/6f5390ead5df9779ac81fadefffb476e03f93548
Calibreweb Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web
huntr.com/bounties/394af194-6... WEB
https://huntr.com/bounties/394af194-61a7-4e33-b373-877d4c766fca

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3986?
CVE-2021-3986 is a security vulnerability in Calibreweb involving Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information in janeczku/calibre-web under CWE-209: Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information.
Which Calibreweb versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.6.15 across affected packages: calibreweb.
What version fixes CVE-2021-3986?
Upgrading to 0.6.15 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is calibreweb affected?
Yes, calibreweb is affected in releases prior to 0.6.15. Upgrade your dependency to 0.6.15 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3986?
CVE-2021-3986 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-3986?
CVE-2021-3986 is classified under CWE-209: Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information (The product generates an error message that includes sensitive information about its environment, users, or associated data.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2021-3986?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show calibreweb'. 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-m982-h4f8-g4hf",
  "modified" : "2024-11-19T20:46:56Z",
  "published" : "2024-11-15T12:31:44Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-3986" ],
  "summary" : "Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information in janeczku/calibre-web",
  "details" : "A vulnerability in janeczku/calibre-web allows unauthorized users to view the names of private shelves belonging to other users. This issue occurs in the file shelf.py at line 221, where the name of the shelf is exposed in an error message when a user attempts to remove a book from a shelf they do not own. This vulnerability discloses private information and affects all versions prior to the fix.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "calibreweb"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.6.15"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3986"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web/commit/6f5390ead5df9779ac81fadefffb476e03f93548"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/janeczku/calibre-web"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.com/bounties/394af194-61a7-4e33-b373-877d4c766fca"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-209" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-11-15T20:43:52Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-11-15T11:15:06Z"
  }
}