CVE-2021-3999: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vfch-2fr8-r5c2
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CVSS 7.8
CWE-193
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-3999 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-193: Off-by-one Error) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when a product calculates or uses an incorrect maximum or minimum value that is 1 more, or 1 less, than the correct value.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-3999 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-3999
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vfch-2fr8-r5c2
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.8
CWE Classification CWE-193: Off-by-one Error
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-2021-3999

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-2021-3999, 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-193: Off-by-one Error, where a product calculates or uses an incorrect maximum or minimum value that is 1 more, or 1 less, than the correct value. 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 flaw was found in glibc. An off-by-one buffer overflow and underflow in getcwd() may lead to memory corruption when the size of the buffer is exactly 1. A local attacker who can control the input buffer and size passed to getcwd() in a setuid program could use this flaw to potentially execute arbitrary code and escalate their privileges on the system.

References

NVD — CVE-2021-3999 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3999
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2022:08... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2022:0896
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-3999
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2024637
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-831302.html
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00021.html
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2021-3999
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20221104-0001
sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.c... WEB
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=28769
sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi WEB
https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git%3Bh=23e0e8f5f1fb5ed150253d986ecccdc90c2dcd5e
sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi WEB
https://sourceware.org/git/gitweb.cgi?p=glibc.git;h=23e0e8f5f1fb5ed150253d986ecccdc90c2dcd5e
Software Security Information SECURITY
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/24/4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3999?
CVE-2021-3999 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-193: Off-by-one Error.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-3999?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3999?
CVE-2021-3999 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-2021-3999?
CVE-2021-3999 is classified under CWE-193: Off-by-one Error (A product calculates or uses an incorrect maximum or minimum value that is 1 more, or 1 less, than the correct value.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-3999?
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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  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-vfch-2fr8-r5c2",
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  "published" : "2022-08-25T00:00:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-3999" ],
  "details" : "A flaw was found in glibc. An off-by-one buffer overflow and underflow in getcwd() may lead to memory corruption when the size of the buffer is exactly 1. A local attacker who can control the input buffer and size passed to getcwd() in a setuid program could use this flaw to potentially execute arbitrary code and escalate their privileges on the system.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
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  "references" : [ {
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  }, {
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  }, {
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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-831302.html"
  }, {
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  }, {
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  "database_specific" : {
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    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-08-24T16:15:00Z"
  }
}