CVE-2021-21343
No exploitation reported by the sources we read.
- Published2021-03-23
- Fixed in1.4.16
- WeaknessCWE-502 · CWE-73
Am I affected?
Debian, Ubuntu or Red Hat sometimes backport a fix without changing the upstream version number: such a version reads « to verify », never « affected ».With a domain, we read the version its public headers and pages expose. A distribution build can carry the fix under an older number.
Description
XStream is a Java library to serialize objects to XML and back again. In XStream before version 1.4.16, there is a vulnerability where the processed stream at unmarshalling time contains type information to recreate the formerly written objects. XStream creates therefore new instances based on these type information. An attacker can manipulate the processed input stream and replace or inject objects, that result in the deletion of a file on the local host. No user is affected, who followed the recommendation to setup XStream's security framework with a whitelist limited to the minimal required types. If you rely on XStream's default blacklist of the Security Framework, you will have to use at least version 1.4.16.
Timeline
dates in UTC- 2021-03-2300:15CVE publishedNVD
Versions per branch
NVD · OSV| Branch | Affected | Fixed in | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.4 | < 1.4.16 | 1.4.16 | NVD · OSV |
| Branch | Affected | Fixed in | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.15 | < 5.15.14 | 5.15.14 | NVD · OSV |
| 5.16 | = 5.16.0 | no fix published | NVD |
| 5.16 | = 5.16.1 | no fix published | NVD |
| 5.16 | ≥ 5.16.0, ≤ 5.16.0 | no fix published | OSV |
| 5.16 | ≥ 5.16.1, ≤ 5.16.1 | no fix published | OSV |
| Branch | Affected | Fixed in | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.3 | = 7.3.2 | no fix published | NVD |
| 7.3 | = 7.3.4 | no fix published | NVD |
| 7.3 | = 7.3.5 | no fix published | NVD |
| 7.4 | = 7.4.0 | no fix published | NVD |
| 7.4 | = 7.4.1 | no fix published | NVD |
12 more products in the sources.
as publishedRanges as NVD and OSV publish them; a distribution’s build can be fixed under an older number.
Distribution builds and vendor advisories
Packages from OSV.dev and products from the vendors' CSAF advisories.
version not verifiedVersions not verified: read as OSV.dev and the vendors publish them, not checked against each vendor's release list.
Packages
- hadoop-fips-3.3.6Chainguardall versions · no fixed version listedand 1 other package
- libxstream-javaUbuntu:Pro:16.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 1.4.8-1ubuntu0.1+esm3
- libxstream-javaUbuntu:Pro:14.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 1.4.7-1ubuntu0.1+esm2
- libxstream-javaUbuntu:20.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 1.4.11.1-1ubuntu0.2
- libxstream-javaUbuntu:18.04:LTSall versions · fixed in 1.4.11.1-1~18.04.2
- libxstream-javaDebian:14all versions · fixed in 1.4.15-2
- libxstream-javaDebian:13all versions · fixed in 1.4.15-2
- libxstream-javaDebian:12all versions · fixed in 1.4.15-2
10 more package ranges on OSV.dev
Vendor advisories
XStream: arbitrary file deletion on the local host via crafted input stream
xstream as a component of Red Hat BPM Suite 6 · xstream as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 · xstream-javadoc as a component of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 · +11 more
Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Fuse 7.10.0 release and security update
Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Integration Camel-K 1.6 release and security update
Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Integration Camel Extensions for Quarkus GA security update
Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Decision Manager 7.11.0 security update
Red Hat Security Advisory: Red Hat Process Automation Manager 7.11.0 security update
1 more advisory
Fix
- Update Xstream to 1.4.16
- Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2021:5134 · 1 productBefore applying the update, back up your existing installation, including all applications, configuration files, databases and database settings, and so on. Installation instructions are available from the Fuse 7.10.0 product documentation page: https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_ha…
- Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2021:4918 · 1 productBefore applying this update, make sure all previously released errata relevant to your system have been applied. For details on how to apply this update, refer to: https://access.redhat.com/articles/11258
- Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2021:2476 · 1 productFor on-premise installations, before applying the update, back up your existing installation, including all applications, configuration files, databases and database settings, and so on. It is recommended to halt the server by stopping the JBoss Application Server process before installing this up…
- Vendor fix Red Hat Product Security RHSA-2021:2139 · 1 productRefer to the Data Grid 8.2 Upgrade Guide for instructions on upgrading to this version. The References section of this erratum contains a download link (you must log in to download the update).
- No fix available, says the vendor Red Hat Product Security CVE-2021-21343 · 2 productsAffected
- No fix planned, says the vendor Red Hat Product Security CVE-2021-21343 · 12 productsOut of support scope
Advisories and patches
- x-stream.github.ioRelease Notes
- www.oracle.comPatch · Vendor Advisory
- x-stream.github.ioMitigation
Detection
- Nuclei template
- none so far ProjectDiscovery
- Exploit-DB
- no entry Exploit-DB
- Proof of concept
- PoC-in-GitHubno public repository identifiedread 2026-11-08
- Metasploit modules
- none listed Metasploit Framework
Sources
- CISA-ADPSSVC decisionnone2026-10-07
- CNACVSS 3.15.3known since 2026-10-23
- NVDCVSS 3.17.5read 2026-10-23
- NVDCVSS 2.05read 2026-10-23
- CNAweakness (CWE)CWE-502, CWE-73known since 2026-10-23
- FIRST EPSSEPSS score46.7 %read 2026-11-09
- OSVaffected packages—
- GitHub AdvisoriesadvisoryMODERATE2021-03-22
Identifiers
- BIT-activemq-2021-21343same flawBitnami · Apache-2.0
- CGA-29vf-8x2p-wqvhsame flawChainguard · CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
- CGA-m5p2-4v2j-cjr9same flawChainguard · CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
- CGA-wvch-rjqp-ch8qsame flawChainguard · CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
- CGA-xc37-wqm7-xx39same flawChainguard · CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
- EUVD-2021-0620same flawENISA EUVD · LicenseRef-ENISA-legal-notice
- GHSA-74cv-f58x-f9wfsame flawGitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0
- DLA-2616-1advisory covering several CVEsDebian · LicenseRef-unstated
- MGASA-2021-0370advisory covering several CVEsMageia · LicenseRef-unstated
- OESA-2021-1185advisory covering several CVEsopenEuler · LicenseRef-unstated
- openSUSE-SU-2021:0832-1advisory covering several CVEsopenSUSE · LicenseRef-unstated
- openSUSE-SU-2021:1840-1advisory covering several CVEsopenSUSE · LicenseRef-unstated
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10592-1advisory covering several CVEsopenSUSE · LicenseRef-unstated
- SUSE-SU-2021:1840-1advisory covering several CVEsSUSE · LicenseRef-unstated
- SUSE-SU-2021:1840-2advisory covering several CVEsSUSE · LicenseRef-unstated
- USN-4943-1advisory covering several CVEsUbuntu
- USN-6978-1advisory covering several CVEsUbuntu
Technical details
- CVSS v3 Vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
- Published
- 2021-03-23
- Last Modified
- 2026-10-07
- NVD status
- Analyzed
- GitHub Advisory
- GHSA-74cv-f58x-f9wf
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2021-21343?
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2021-21343?
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Related vulnerabilities
Same product first, then the same vendor advisory and the same publication week.
Sources for this record
- CVE Program · CVE Program Terms of Use
- ENISA EU Vulnerability Database · ENISA legal notice §1.2 (reproduction authorised, provided the source is acknowledged)
- FIRST EPSS · EPSS terms of use (free use, attribution requested)
- GitHub Advisory Database · CC-BY-4.0 · GHSA-74cv-f58x-f9wf
- NVD · Public domain (17 U.S.C. § 105) for NVD-authored data; third-party content under its own terms
- OSV.dev · Per record, as its publisher states it: each row carries the label in sourceLicense when one is served
- Red Hat Product Security (CSAF and VEX) · CC-BY-4.0
- CISA Vulnrichment · CC0-1.0