CVE-2021-41303: Shiro core Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f6jp-j6w3-w9hm
Share
CVSS 9.8
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-41303 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Shiro core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache shiro vulnerable to a specially crafted http request causing an authentication bypass. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.8.0.

CVE-2021-41303 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-41303
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f6jp-j6w3-w9hm
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Shiro core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2021-41303

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

org.apache.shiro:shiro-core fixed: 1.8.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.shiro</groupId>
    <artifactId>shiro-core</artifactId>
    <version>1.8.0</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=org.apache.shiro

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-41303, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Shiro core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.8.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro 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-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Shiro core, 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

Apache Shiro before 1.8.0, when using Apache Shiro with Spring Boot, a specially crafted HTTP request may cause an authentication bypass. Users should update to Apache Shiro 1.8.0.

CVE-2021-41303 Affected Shiro core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.8.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.shiro:shiro-core
maven/org.apache.shiro/shiro-core
Maven
< 1.8.0
1.8.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-41303 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41303
lists.apache.org/thread.html/raae98b... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/raae98bb934e4bde304465896ea02d9798e257e486d04a42221e2c41b@%3Cuser.shiro.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/re470be... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re470be1ffea44bca28ccb0e67a4cf5d744e2d2b981d00fdbbf5abc13%40%3Cannounce.shiro.apache.org%3E
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220609-0001
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-41303?
CVE-2021-41303 is a security vulnerability in Shiro core involving Apache Shiro vulnerable to a specially crafted HTTP request causing an authentication bypass under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Shiro core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.8.0 across affected packages: org.apache.shiro:shiro-core.
What version fixes CVE-2021-41303?
Upgrading to 1.8.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is shiro-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.shiro:shiro-core is affected in releases prior to 1.8.0. Upgrade your dependency to 1.8.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-41303?
CVE-2021-41303 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-41303?
CVE-2021-41303 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-41303?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro'. 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-f6jp-j6w3-w9hm",
  "modified" : "2022-08-15T20:07:11Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-20T20:18:11Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-41303" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Shiro vulnerable to a specially crafted HTTP request causing an authentication bypass",
  "details" : "Apache Shiro before 1.8.0, when using Apache Shiro with Spring Boot, a specially crafted HTTP request may cause an authentication bypass. Users should update to Apache Shiro 1.8.0.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.shiro:shiro-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-41303"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/raae98bb934e4bde304465896ea02d9798e257e486d04a42221e2c41b@%3Cuser.shiro.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re470be1ffea44bca28ccb0e67a4cf5d744e2d2b981d00fdbbf5abc13%40%3Cannounce.shiro.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20220609-0001"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-20T19:17:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-17T09:15:00Z"
  }
}