CVE-2021-32820 Vulnerability Analysis & Exploit Details

CVE-2021-32820
Vulnerability Scoring

8.6
/10
Severe Risk

Cybersecurity professionals consider CVE-2021-32820 an immediate threat requiring urgent mitigation.

Attack Complexity Details

  • Attack Complexity: Low
    Exploits can be performed without significant complexity or special conditions.
  • Attack Vector: Network
    Vulnerability is exploitable over a network without physical access.
  • Privileges Required: None
    No privileges are required for exploitation.
  • Scope: Changed
    Successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component.
  • User Interaction: None
    No user interaction is necessary for exploitation.

CVE-2021-32820 Details

Status: Modified

Last updated: 🕕 21 Nov 2024, 06:07 UTC
Originally published on: 🕖 14 May 2021, 19:15 UTC

Time between publication and last update: 1286 days

CVSS Release: version 3

CVSS3 Source

nvd@nist.gov

CVSS3 Type

Primary

CVSS3 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVE-2021-32820 Vulnerability Summary

CVE-2021-32820: Express-handlebars is a Handlebars view engine for Express. Express-handlebars mixes pure template data with engine configuration options through the Express render API. More specifically, the layout parameter may trigger file disclosure vulnerabilities in downstream applications. This potential vulnerability is somewhat restricted in that only files with existing extentions (i.e. file.extension) can be included, files that lack an extension will have .handlebars appended to them. For complete details refer to the referenced GHSL-2021-018 report. Notes in documentation have been added to help users avoid this potential information exposure vulnerability.

Assessing the Risk of CVE-2021-32820

Access Complexity Graph

The exploitability of CVE-2021-32820 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).

Exploitability Analysis for CVE-2021-32820

With low attack complexity and no required privileges, CVE-2021-32820 is an easy target for cybercriminals. Organizations should prioritize immediate mitigation measures to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

Understanding AC and PR

A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.

Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.

Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.

CVSS Score Breakdown Chart

Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-32820, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.

CIA Impact Analysis

Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-32820, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.

  • Confidentiality: High
    Exploiting CVE-2021-32820 can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, severely compromising data privacy.
  • Integrity: None
    CVE-2021-32820 poses no threat to data integrity.
  • Availability: None
    CVE-2021-32820 does not impact system availability.

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.

EPSS Score: 4.59% (probability of exploit)

EPSS Percentile: 92.63% (lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 7.3700000000000045% of others.

CVE-2021-32820 References

External References

CWE Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE-94

CAPEC Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification

  • Code Injection CAPEC-242 An adversary exploits a weakness in input validation on the target to inject new code into that which is currently executing. This differs from code inclusion in that code inclusion involves the addition or replacement of a reference to a code file, which is subsequently loaded by the target and used as part of the code of some application.
  • Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files CAPEC-35 An attack of this type exploits a system's trust in configuration and resource files. When the executable loads the resource (such as an image file or configuration file) the attacker has modified the file to either execute malicious code directly or manipulate the target process (e.g. application server) to execute based on the malicious configuration parameters. Since systems are increasingly interrelated mashing up resources from local and remote sources the possibility of this attack occurring is high.
  • Manipulating User-Controlled Variables CAPEC-77 This attack targets user controlled variables (DEBUG=1, PHP Globals, and So Forth). An adversary can override variables leveraging user-supplied, untrusted query variables directly used on the application server without any data sanitization. In extreme cases, the adversary can change variables controlling the business logic of the application. For instance, in languages like PHP, a number of poorly set default configurations may allow the user to override variables.

Vulnerable Configurations

  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.1.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.1.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.1.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.1.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.2.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.3.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.4.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.4.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.4.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.4.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.5.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.5.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.5.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:0.5.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.0:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.0:-:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.0:rc1:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.0:rc2:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.2.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:1.2.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:3.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.3:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.4:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.5:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.6:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:4.0.6:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.0.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.1.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.2.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.2.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.3.0:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.3.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.3.1:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
  • cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.3.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*
    cpe:2.3:a:express_handlebars_project:express_handlebars:5.3.2:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

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