CVE-2021-39176 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

CVE-2021-39176, titled 'Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime in detect-character-encoding,' addresses a vulnerability in the detect-character-encoding package by sonicdoe.

Understanding CVE-2021-39176

CVE-2021-39176 is a vulnerability in the detect-character-encoding package that could result in memory not being released after its effective lifetime, affecting versions prior to 0.3.1.

What is CVE-2021-39176?

The detect-character-encoding package, used for character encoding detection with ICU, had a memory release issue in versions up to 0.3.0, which was resolved in version 0.3.1.

The Impact of CVE-2021-39176

This vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (High), with a network-based attack complexity and high availability impact.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-39176

CVE-2021-39176 involves the following technical details:

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in detect-character-encoding prior to version 0.3.1 leads to unallocated memory after its effective lifetime, potentially causing memory-related issues.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: detect-character-encoding
Vendor: sonicdoe
Versions Affected: < 0.3.1

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by utilizing specially crafted requests to the affected system, causing memory leakage due to the unrelease of memory.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2021-39176, consider the following mitigation and prevention steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade detect-character-encoding to version 0.3.1 or later.
Monitor memory usage closely to detect any abnormal behavior.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software dependencies to include the latest security patches.
Implement secure coding practices to prevent memory leakage vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Always apply the latest patches and updates provided by the vendor to maintain a secure software environment.