CVE-2021-34866: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mrjq-f7fw-fmg2
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CVSS 7.8
CWE-843
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-34866 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product allocates or initializes a resource such as a pointer, object, or variable using one type, but it later accesses that resource using a type that is incompatible with the original type.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-34866 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-34866
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mrjq-f7fw-fmg2
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.8
CWE Classification CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion')
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-2021-34866

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-2021-34866, 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-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion'), where the product allocates or initializes a resource such as a pointer, object, or variable using one type, but it later accesses that resource using a type that is incompatible with the original type. 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

This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Linux Kernel 5.14-rc3. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of eBPF programs. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied eBPF programs, which can result in a type confusion condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the kernel. Was ZDI-CAN-14689.

References

NVD — CVE-2021-34866 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34866
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220217-0008
www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/zdi-21-1... WEB
https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-1148

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-34866?
CVE-2021-34866 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion').
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-34866?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-34866?
CVE-2021-34866 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-2021-34866?
CVE-2021-34866 is classified under CWE-843: Access of Resource Using Incompatible Type ('Type Confusion') (The product allocates or initializes a resource such as a pointer, object, or variable using one type, but it later accesses that resource using a type that is incompatible with the original type.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-34866?
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 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-mrjq-f7fw-fmg2",
  "modified" : "2026-10-08T21:32:51Z",
  "published" : "2022-01-26T00:01:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-34866" ],
  "details" : "This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Linux Kernel 5.14-rc3. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the handling of eBPF programs. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied eBPF programs, which can result in a type confusion condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the kernel. Was ZDI-CAN-14689.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34866"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220217-0008"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-1148"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-843" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-01-25T16:15:00Z"
  }
}