CVE-2021-42715: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x76g-p4rm-4xch
CVSS 5.5
CWE-835
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-42715 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2021-42715 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-42715
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x76g-p4rm-4xch
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

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

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2021-42715

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-2021-42715, 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-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop'), where the product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop. 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

An issue was discovered in stb stb_image.h 1.33 through 2.27. The HDR loader parsed truncated end-of-file RLE scanlines as an infinite sequence of zero-length runs. An attacker could potentially have caused denial of service in applications using stb_image by submitting crafted HDR files.

References

NVD — CVE-2021-42715 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-42715
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/nothings/stb/issues/1224
Software Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/nothings/stb/pull/1223
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/01/msg00045.html
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/3TDGZFLBOP27LZKLH45WQLSNPSPP7S7Z
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/AF2CNP4FVC6LDKNOO4WDCGNDYIP3MPK6
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/BEGXBDEMTFGINETMJENBZ6SCHVEJQJSY
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/CI23LXPEV2GCDQTJSKO6CIILBDTI3R42
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FTZXHFZD36BGE5P6JF252NZZLKMGCY4T
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/G2M5CRSGPRF7G3YB5CLU4FXW7ANNHAYT
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ID6II3RIKAMVGVMC6ZAQIXXYYDMTVC4N
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TXX76TJMZBPN3NU542MGN6B7C7QHRFGB
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VP2YEXEAJWI76FPM7D7VXHWD3WESQEYC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-42715?
CVE-2021-42715 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop').
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2021-42715?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-42715?
CVE-2021-42715 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-42715?
CVE-2021-42715 is classified under CWE-835: Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop') (The product contains an iteration or loop with an exit condition that cannot be reached, i.e., an infinite loop.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-42715?
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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  "id" : "GHSA-x76g-p4rm-4xch",
  "modified" : "2022-05-24T19:18:26Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T19:18:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-42715" ],
  "details" : "An issue was discovered in stb stb_image.h 1.33 through 2.27. The HDR loader parsed truncated end-of-file RLE scanlines as an infinite sequence of zero-length runs. An attacker could potentially have caused denial of service in applications using stb_image by submitting crafted HDR files.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
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  "affected" : [ ],
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  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-835" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-10-21T19:15:00Z"
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}