CVE-2021-21565 : What You Need to Know

A denial of service vulnerability exists in Dell PowerScale OneFS versions 9.1.0.3 and earlier, allowing for potential SmartConnect loop errors. This could lead to CPU consumption and disruption of SmartConnect DNS responses.

Understanding CVE-2021-21565

This CVE represents a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Dell PowerScale OneFS versions 9.1.0.3 and earlier.

What is CVE-2021-21565?

CVE-2021-21565 is a denial of service vulnerability found in Dell PowerScale OneFS versions 9.1.0.3 and prior. It stems from error conditions in SmartConnect that could be exploited to cause CPU consumption and interrupt SmartConnect DNS responses.

The Impact of CVE-2021-21565

The vulnerability poses a medium risk, with the potential to disrupt services by causing CPU usage to spike due to SmartConnect's error condition.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-21565

This section provides a deeper look at the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Dell PowerScale OneFS versions 9.1.0.3 and earlier allows for uncontrolled resource consumption, opening the door to denial of service attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Dell PowerScale OneFS versions 9.1.0.3 and previous are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

By triggering the error condition in SmartConnect, attackers can induce a loop that leads to excessive CPU usage and potential disruption of SmartConnect DNS responses.

Mitigation and Prevention

To safeguard systems against CVE-2021-21565, proactive measures need to be taken.

Immediate Steps to Take

Dell PowerScale OneFS users should update to a patched version above 9.1.0.3 to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing robust network security practices and regularly updating systems can help prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security bulletins from Dell and promptly apply recommended patches and updates to ensure system security.