CVE-2021-21401
CVSS v3
7.1
HIGH
EPSS Score
1.8 %
exploit probability, as of 2026-09-25
CISA KEV
No
known exploited
Exploitation
—
SSVC status
Description
Nanopb is a small code-size Protocol Buffers implementation in ansi C. In Nanopb before versions 0.3.9.8 and 0.4.5, decoding a specifically formed message can cause invalid `free()` or `realloc()` calls if the message type contains an `oneof` field, and the `oneof` directly contains both a pointer field and a non-pointer field. If the message data first contains the non-pointer field and then the pointer field, the data of the non-pointer field is incorrectly treated as if it was a pointer value. Such message data rarely occurs in normal messages, but it is a concern when untrusted data is parsed. This has been fixed in versions 0.3.9.8 and 0.4.5. See referenced GitHub Security Advisory for more information including workarounds.
Technical details
- Published
- 2021-03-23
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2021-21401?
Nanopb is a small code-size Protocol Buffers implementation in ansi C. In Nanopb before versions 0.3.9.8 and 0.4.5, decoding a specifically formed message can cause invalid `free()` or `realloc()` calls if the message type contains an `oneof` field, and the `oneof` directly contains both a pointer field and a non-pointer field. If the message data first contains the non-pointer field and then the pointer field, the data of the non-pointer field is incorrectly treated as if it was a pointer value. Such message data rarely occurs in normal messages, but it is a concern when untrusted data is parsed. This has been fixed in versions 0.3.9.8 and 0.4.5. See referenced GitHub Security Advisory for more information including workarounds.
Is CVE-2021-21401 actively exploited?
Active exploitation of CVE-2021-21401 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 1.8% on 2026-09-25, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2021-21401?
CVE-2021-21401 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.1 (HIGH severity).
Is CVE-2021-21401 affecting your environment?
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