CVE-2021-36221 Explained : Impact and Mitigation
Learn about CVE-2021-36221, a race condition vulnerability in Go programming language versions before 1.15.15 and 1.16.7, leading to potential panics in ReverseProxy.
A race condition in Go before 1.15.15 and 1.16.x before 1.16.7 can trigger a net/http/httputil ReverseProxy panic upon an ErrAbortHandler abort.
Understanding CVE-2021-36221
This section will cover the details of CVE-2021-36221, its impact, technical description, affected systems, exploitation mechanism, mitigation, and prevention.
What is CVE-2021-36221?
CVE-2021-36221 involves a race condition in Go versions before 1.15.15 and 1.16.x before 1.16.7, leading to a potential panic situation in the net/http/httputil ReverseProxy upon ErrAbortHandler abort.
The Impact of CVE-2021-36221
The impact of this vulnerability is the initiation of a panic in net/http/httputil ReverseProxy upon an ErrAbortHandler abort, affecting the stability and reliability of affected systems.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-36221
This section dives into the technical specifics of CVE-2021-36221.
Vulnerability Description
The vulnerability arises from a race condition present in Go versions before 1.15.15 and 1.16.x before 1.16.7, which triggers a panic in net/http/httputil ReverseProxy during an ErrAbortHandler abort.
Affected Systems and Versions
The Go versions susceptible to this vulnerability include Go 1.15.15 and 1.16.x before 1.16.7.
Exploitation Mechanism
The exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through malicious manipulation of the ErrAbortHandler, causing a panic in net/http/httputil ReverseProxy.
Mitigation and Prevention
To address CVE-2021-36221, immediate steps should be taken, alongside the implementation of long-term security practices and timely patching and updates.
Immediate Steps to Take
Immediate actions include updating to Go versions 1.15.15 and 1.16.7 or higher to mitigate the race condition exploit.
Long-Term Security Practices
In the long term, organizations should enforce secure coding practices, conduct regular security audits, and prioritize timely software updates.
Patching and Updates
Regularly applying security patches and staying informed about the latest updates from the Go community is crucial to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-36221.