Security assessments indicate that CVE-2021-41278 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Modified
Last updated: 🕕 21 Nov 2024, 06:25 UTC
Originally published on: 🕛 19 Nov 2021, 00:15 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 1098 days
CVSS Release: version 3
nvd@nist.gov
Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVE-2021-41278: Functions SDK for EdgeX is meant to provide all the plumbing necessary for developers to get started in processing/transforming/exporting data out of the EdgeX IoT platform. In affected versions broken encryption in app-functions-sdk “AES” transform in EdgeX Foundry releases prior to Jakarta allows attackers to decrypt messages via unspecified vectors. The app-functions-sdk exports an “aes” transform that user scripts can optionally call to encrypt data in the processing pipeline. No decrypt function is provided. Encryption is not enabled by default, but if used, the level of protection may be less than the user may expects due to a broken implementation. Version v2.1.0 (EdgeX Foundry Jakarta release and later) of app-functions-sdk-go/v2 deprecates the “aes” transform and provides an improved “aes256” transform in its place. The broken implementation will remain in a deprecated state until it is removed in the next EdgeX major release to avoid breakage of existing software that depends on the broken implementation. As the broken transform is a library function that is not invoked by default, users who do not use the AES transform in their processing pipelines are unaffected. Those that are affected are urged to upgrade to the Jakarta EdgeX release and modify processing pipelines to use the new "aes256" transform.
The exploitability of CVE-2021-41278 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).
CVE-2021-41278 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
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.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-41278, 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.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-41278, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.063% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 30.37%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 69.63% of others.
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