CVE-2021-33609 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A Denial of Service vulnerability has been identified in Vaadin 8 that could potentially allow an authenticated network attacker to exhaust heap memory. This CVE was published on October 13, 2021.

Understanding CVE-2021-33609

This section provides insights into the nature of the vulnerability and its impacts.

What is CVE-2021-33609?

The CVE-2021-33609 relates to a missing check in the DataCommunicator class in Vaadin versions 8.0.0 through 8.14.0. The vulnerability can be exploited by an authenticated network attacker to cause heap exhaustion by requesting an excessive number of data rows.

The Impact of CVE-2021-33609

The impact of this vulnerability is rated as MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 4.3. It poses a low attack complexity but can lead to a denial of service condition with low availability impact.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-33609

In this section, we delve deeper into the technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises due to a missing check in the DataCommunicator class, allowing attackers to exhaust heap memory by requesting an excessive amount of data.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vaadin versions 8.0.0 through 8.14.0 including the vaadin-server are impacted by this vulnerability, leaving them exposed to potential denial of service attacks.

Exploitation Mechanism

An authenticated network attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending an unusually large number of data row requests, causing the heap memory to exhaust.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the steps to mitigate and prevent exploitation of CVE-2021-33609.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update to a secure version of Vaadin beyond 8.14.0 and apply patches provided by the vendor to address this vulnerability promptly.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implementing secure coding practices, regular security assessments, and staying informed about security updates can help enhance the overall security posture.

Patching and Updates

Regularly checking for security advisories from Vaadin and promptly applying patches and updates is crucial to preventing exploitation of known vulnerabilities.