CVE-2021-20179: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q87w-gh3f-77p7
CVSS 8.1
CWE-863
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-20179 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-20179 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-20179
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q87w-gh3f-77p7
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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:H/I:H/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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-20179

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-2021-20179, 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-863: Incorrect Authorization, where the product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check. 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 pki-core. An attacker who has successfully compromised a key could use this flaw to renew the corresponding certificate over and over again, as long as it is not explicitly revoked. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity.

References

NVD — CVE-2021-20179 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-20179
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/dogtagpki/pki/pull/3474
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/dogtagpki/pki/pull/3475
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/dogtagpki/pki/pull/3476
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/dogtagpki/pki/pull/3477
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/dogtagpki/pki/pull/3478
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1914379
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDOLFOLEIV7I4EUC3SCZBXL6E2ER7ZEN
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HRE44N6P24AEDKRMWK7RPRLMCUUBRJII
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/R3I7BRAHLE2WWSY76W3CKFCF5WSSAE24
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DDOLFOLEIV7I4EUC3SCZBXL6E2ER7ZEN
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/HRE44N6P24AEDKRMWK7RPRLMCUUBRJII
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/R3I7BRAHLE2WWSY76W3CKFCF5WSSAE24

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-20179?
CVE-2021-20179 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-20179?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-20179?
CVE-2021-20179 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-20179?
CVE-2021-20179 is classified under CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization (The product performs an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action, but it does not correctly perform the check.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-20179?
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
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  "severity" : [ {
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  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-863" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-03-15T13:15:00Z"
  }
}