CVE-2021-3978: Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki Improper Preservation Of Permissions Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-3pqh-p72c-fj85
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-269 CWE-281
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-3978 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) improper preservation of permissions vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki libraries in the Go ecosystem. The issue involves improper preservation of permissions in github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/cmd/octorpki. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.4.2.

CVE-2021-3978 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-3978
GHSA Identifier GHSA-3pqh-p72c-fj85
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki
Package Ecosystem Go
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-3978

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

github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki fixed: 1.4.2 
Upgrade github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki to 1.4.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

inspect dependencies for github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2021-3978, inspect your project dependencies for Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki:

inspect dependencies for github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.4.2), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki, 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

### Impact When copying files with rsync, octorpki uses the "-a" flag 0, which forces rsync to copy binaries with the suid bit set as root. Since the provided service definition defaults to root (https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/blob/master/package/octorpki.service) this could allow for a vector, when combined with another vulnerability that causes octorpki to process a malicious TAL file, for a local privilege escalation. ## For more information If you have any questions or comments about this advisory email us at security@cloudflare.com

CVE-2021-3978 Affected Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.4.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki
golang/github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki
Go
< 1.4.2
1.4.2

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/security/advisories/GHSA-3pqh-p72c-fj85
NVD — CVE-2021-3978 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3978
Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3978?
CVE-2021-3978 is a security vulnerability in Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki involving Improper Preservation of Permissions in github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/cmd/octorpki under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which Github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.4.2 across affected packages: github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki.
What version fixes CVE-2021-3978?
Upgrading to 1.4.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki affected?
Yes, github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki is affected in releases prior to 1.4.2. Upgrade your dependency to 1.4.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3978?
CVE-2021-3978 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-3978?
CVE-2021-3978 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Go dependencies for CVE-2021-3978?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki'. 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-3pqh-p72c-fj85",
  "modified" : "2025-01-29T16:56:35Z",
  "published" : "2021-11-19T19:34:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-3978" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Preservation of Permissions in github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/cmd/octorpki",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nWhen copying files with rsync, octorpki uses the \"-a\" flag 0, which forces rsync to copy binaries with the suid bit set as root. Since the provided service definition defaults to root (https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/blob/master/package/octorpki.service) this could allow for a vector, when combined with another vulnerability that causes octorpki to process a malicious TAL file, for a local privilege escalation.  \n\n## For more information\n\nIf you have any questions or comments about this advisory email us at security@cloudflare.com",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Go",
      "name" : "github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.4.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki/security/advisories/GHSA-3pqh-p72c-fj85"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3978"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/cloudflare/cfrpki"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269", "CWE-281" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-11-19T13:10:27Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-01-29T10:15:07Z"
  }
}