CVE-2021-44144: Asterix decoder Asterix Heap-based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6mmf-v5q7-vw2w
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CVSS 9.1
CWE-125
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-44144 is a HIGH (CVSS 9.1) asterix heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read) affecting Asterix decoder libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves asterix heap-based buffer overflow. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.7.2.

CVE-2021-44144 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-44144
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6mmf-v5q7-vw2w
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.1
CWE Classification CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read
Affected Product Asterix decoder
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.1

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-44144

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

asterix_decoder fixed: 0.7.2 
pip install asterix_decoder>=0.7.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

pip show asterix_decoder

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2021-44144, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show asterix_decoder

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Asterix decoder in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.7.2), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show asterix_decoder command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, where the product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer. In Asterix decoder, 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

Croatia Control Asterix 2.8.1 has a heap-based buffer over-read, with additional details to be disclosed at a later date.

CVE-2021-44144 Affected Asterix decoder Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.7.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
asterix_decoder
pypi/asterix_decoder
PyPI
< 0.7.2
0.7.2

References

NVD — CVE-2021-44144 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-44144
Asterix decoder Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix/issues/183
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix/commit/3f765d387d239ccc44e278a2ffa600fb6a6587f9
Asterix decoder Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix
Asterix decoder Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix/blob/daf33de522d1cdab0e941c025b89e18a0d4d42c6/README.md?plain=1#L7
Asterix decoder Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/asterix-decoder/PYSEC-2021-860.yaml
web.archive.org/web/20221207104133/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20221207104133/https://huntr.dev/bounties/1-other-CroatiaControlLtd/asterix

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-44144?
CVE-2021-44144 is a security vulnerability in Asterix decoder involving Asterix Heap-based Buffer Overflow under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read.
Which Asterix decoder versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.7.2 across affected packages: asterix_decoder.
What version fixes CVE-2021-44144?
Upgrading to 0.7.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is asterix_decoder affected?
Yes, asterix_decoder is affected in releases prior to 0.7.2. Upgrade your dependency to 0.7.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-44144?
CVE-2021-44144 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-44144?
CVE-2021-44144 is classified under CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read (The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2021-44144?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show asterix_decoder'. 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-6mmf-v5q7-vw2w",
  "modified" : "2024-11-18T16:26:26Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T19:21:10Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-44144" ],
  "summary" : "Asterix Heap-based Buffer Overflow",
  "details" : "Croatia Control Asterix 2.8.1 has a heap-based buffer over-read, with additional details to be disclosed at a later date.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "asterix_decoder"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.7.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-44144"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix/issues/183"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix/commit/3f765d387d239ccc44e278a2ffa600fb6a6587f9"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CroatiaControlLtd/asterix/blob/daf33de522d1cdab0e941c025b89e18a0d4d42c6/README.md?plain=1#L7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/asterix-decoder/PYSEC-2021-860.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20221207104133/https://huntr.dev/bounties/1-other-CroatiaControlLtd/asterix"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-125" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-08T18:51:18Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-11-22T21:15:00Z"
  }
}