CVE-2021-38507: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-mvf9-xj62-qhwc
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-346
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-38507 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-346: Origin Validation Error) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product does not properly verify that the source of data or communication is valid.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-38507 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-38507
GHSA Identifier GHSA-mvf9-xj62-qhwc
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-346: Origin Validation Error
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

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:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-38507

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-2021-38507, 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-346: Origin Validation Error, where the product does not properly verify that the source of data or communication is valid. 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

The Opportunistic Encryption feature of HTTP2 (RFC 8164) allows a connection to be transparently upgraded to TLS while retaining the visual properties of an HTTP connection, including being same-origin with unencrypted connections on port 80. However, if a second encrypted port on the same IP address (e.g. port 8443) did not opt-in to opportunistic encryption; a network attacker could forward a connection from the browser to port 443 to port 8443, causing the browser to treat the content of port 8443 as same-origin with HTTP. This was resolved by disabling the Opportunistic Encryption feature, which had low usage. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 94, Thunderbird < 91.3, and Firefox ESR < 91.3.

References

Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2021-49
NVD — CVE-2021-38507 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38507
bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1730935
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/12/msg00030.html
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/01/msg00001.html
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202202-03
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-14
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5034
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2021-48
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2021-50
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-5026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-38507?
CVE-2021-38507 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-346: Origin Validation Error.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-38507?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-38507?
CVE-2021-38507 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-38507?
CVE-2021-38507 is classified under CWE-346: Origin Validation Error (The product does not properly verify that the source of data or communication is valid.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-38507?
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-mvf9-xj62-qhwc",
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  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-38507" ],
  "details" : "The Opportunistic Encryption feature of HTTP2 (RFC 8164) allows a connection to be transparently upgraded to TLS while retaining the visual properties of an HTTP connection, including being same-origin with unencrypted connections on port 80. However, if a second encrypted port on the same IP address (e.g. port 8443) did not opt-in to opportunistic encryption; a network attacker could forward a connection from the browser to port 443 to port 8443, causing the browser to treat the content of port 8443 as same-origin with HTTP. This was resolved by disabling the Opportunistic Encryption feature, which had low usage. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 94, Thunderbird < 91.3, and Firefox ESR < 91.3.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
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