CVE-2021-29442: Nacos common Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

Q: What is CVE-2021-29442?

CVE-2021-29442 is a security vulnerability in Nacos common involving Authentication bypass for specific endpoint under CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function.

Q: Which Nacos common versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.1 across affected packages: com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common.

Q: What version fixes CVE-2021-29442?

Upgrading to 1.4.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Q: Is nacos-common affected?

Yes, com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common is affected in releases prior to 1.4.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.1 or later.

Q: What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-29442?

CVE-2021-29442 is classified under CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function (The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.).

Q: How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-29442?

Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.alibaba.nacos'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.

HIGH

Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh

CWE-306

Published 2021-04-27

Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-29442 is a HIGH authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) affecting Nacos common libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves authentication bypass for specific endpoint. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.1.

CVE-2021-29442 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-29442

GHSA Identifier GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh

Severity HIGH

CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A

CWE Classification CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function

Affected Product Nacos common

Package Ecosystem Maven

Published Date 2021-04-27

Last Updated 2021-05-10

How to Fix CVE-2021-29442

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

com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common fixed: 1.4.1

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.alibaba.nacos</groupId>
    <artifactId>nacos-common</artifactId>
    <version>1.4.1</version>
</dependency>

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 -Dincludes=com.alibaba.nacos

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-29442, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.alibaba.nacos

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Nacos common in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.4.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.alibaba.nacos 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-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function, where the product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources. In Nacos common, 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 [`ConfigOpsController`](https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/blob/57459227863485d064ff25b3d5e24e714dcf218f/config/src/main/java/com/alibaba/nacos/config/server/controller/ConfigOpsController.java) lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the [`/data/remove`](https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/blob/57459227863485d064ff25b3d5e24e714dcf218f/config/src/main/java/com/alibaba/nacos/config/server/controller/ConfigOpsController.java#L133-L135) endpoint is properly protected with the `@Secured` annotation, the [`/derby`](https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/blob/57459227863485d064ff25b3d5e24e714dcf218f/config/src/main/java/com/alibaba/nacos/config/server/controller/ConfigOpsController.java#L99-L100) endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. For example, the following request will list the tables of the database: ``` ❯ curl -X GET 'http://console.nacos.io/nacos/v1/cs/ops/derby?sql=select+st.tablename+from+sys.systables+st' {"code":200,"message":null,"data":[{"TABLENAME":"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_PUBS"},{"TABLENAME":"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_SUBS"},{"TABLENAME":"APP_LIST"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_AGGR"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_BETA"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_TAG"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_TAGS_RELATION"},{"TABLENAME":"GROUP_CAPACITY"},{"TABLENAME":"HIS_CONFIG_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"PERMISSIONS"},{"TABLENAME":"ROLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSALIASES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCHECKS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCOLPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCOLUMNS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCONGLOMERATES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCONSTRAINTS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSDEPENDS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSDUMMY1"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSFILES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSFOREIGNKEYS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSKEYS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSROLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSROUTINEPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSCHEMAS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSEQUENCES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSTATEMENTS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSTATISTICS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTABLEPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTABLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTRIGGERS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSUSERS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSVIEWS"},{"TABLENAME":"TENANT_CAPACITY"},{"TABLENAME":"TENANT_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"USERS"}]}% ``` These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

CVE-2021-29442 Affected Nacos common Versions

1 component(s)

Fixed Versions:

1.4.1

Product / Package	Ecosystem	Affected Versions	Fixed Version
com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common maven/com.alibaba.nacos/nacos-common	Maven	< 1.4.1	1.4.1

References

NVD — CVE-2021-29442 NVD

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29442

Nacos common Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/issues/4463

Nacos common Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/pull/4517

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY

https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-36hp-jr8h-556f

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-29442?

CVE-2021-29442 is a security vulnerability in Nacos common involving Authentication bypass for specific endpoint under CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function.

Which Nacos common versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.1 across affected packages: com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common.

What version fixes CVE-2021-29442?

Upgrading to 1.4.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Is nacos-common affected?

Yes, com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common is affected in releases prior to 1.4.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.1 or later.

What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-29442?

CVE-2021-29442 is classified under CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function (The product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources.).

How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-29442?

Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.alibaba.nacos'. 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-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh",
  "modified" : "2021-05-10T15:11:26Z",
  "published" : "2021-04-27T20:09:25Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-29442" ],
  "summary" : "Authentication bypass for specific endpoint",
  "details" : "The [`ConfigOpsController`](https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/blob/57459227863485d064ff25b3d5e24e714dcf218f/config/src/main/java/com/alibaba/nacos/config/server/controller/ConfigOpsController.java) lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the [`/data/remove`](https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/blob/57459227863485d064ff25b3d5e24e714dcf218f/config/src/main/java/com/alibaba/nacos/config/server/controller/ConfigOpsController.java#L133-L135) endpoint is properly protected with the `@Secured` annotation, the [`/derby`](https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/blob/57459227863485d064ff25b3d5e24e714dcf218f/config/src/main/java/com/alibaba/nacos/config/server/controller/ConfigOpsController.java#L99-L100) endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. \n\nFor example, the following request will list the tables of the database:\n```\n❯ curl -X GET 'http://console.nacos.io/nacos/v1/cs/ops/derby?sql=select+st.tablename+from+sys.systables+st'\n{\"code\":200,\"message\":null,\"data\":[{\"TABLENAME\":\"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_PUBS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_SUBS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"APP_LIST\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"CONFIG_INFO\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"CONFIG_INFO_AGGR\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"CONFIG_INFO_BETA\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"CONFIG_INFO_TAG\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"CONFIG_TAGS_RELATION\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"GROUP_CAPACITY\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"HIS_CONFIG_INFO\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"PERMISSIONS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"ROLES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSALIASES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSCHECKS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSCOLPERMS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSCOLUMNS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSCONGLOMERATES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSCONSTRAINTS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSDEPENDS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSDUMMY1\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSFILES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSFOREIGNKEYS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSKEYS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSPERMS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSROLES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSROUTINEPERMS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSSCHEMAS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSSEQUENCES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSSTATEMENTS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSSTATISTICS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSTABLEPERMS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSTABLES\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSTRIGGERS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSUSERS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"SYSVIEWS\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"TENANT_CAPACITY\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"TENANT_INFO\"},{\"TABLENAME\":\"USERS\"}]}% \n```\n\nThese endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.4.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29442"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/issues/4463"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/alibaba/nacos/pull/4517"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-36hp-jr8h-556f"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-306" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-27T20:08:49Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-04-27T21:15:00Z"
  }
}

Advisory Metadata

Source ID: GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh
Schema Version: 1.4.0
Published: 2021-04-27 20:09
Last Modified: 2021-05-10 15:11
Database Record File: advisories/github-reviewed/2021/04/GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh/GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh.json