CVE-2021-42697 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis
Learn about CVE-2021-42697, a Denial of Service vulnerability in Akka HTTP. Understand its impact, affected versions, and mitigation steps to secure your systems.
Akka HTTP 10.1.x before 10.1.15 and 10.2.x before 10.2.7 can encounter stack exhaustion while parsing HTTP headers, leading to a Denial of Service vulnerability.
Understanding CVE-2021-42697
What is CVE-2021-42697?
Akka HTTP versions before 10.1.15 and 10.2.7 are susceptible to a Denial of Service attack due to stack exhaustion during HTTP header parsing.
The Impact of CVE-2021-42697
The vulnerability allows a remote attacker to conduct a Denial of Service attack by sending a User-Agent header with deeply nested comments.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-42697
Vulnerability Description
- Akka HTTP versions before 10.1.15 and 10.2.7 may experience stack exhaustion during HTTP header parsing.
Affected Systems and Versions
- Akka HTTP 10.1.x before 10.1.15
- Akka HTTP 10.2.x before 10.2.7
Exploitation Mechanism
- Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by sending a User-Agent header with deeply nested comments.
Mitigation and Prevention
Immediate Steps to Take
- Update Akka HTTP to versions 10.1.15 or 10.2.7
- Filter User-Agent headers to block deeply nested comments
Long-Term Security Practices
- Regularly monitor for security advisories and updates from Akka
- Implement network-level protections to mitigate DoS attacks
Patching and Updates
- Apply the latest patches and updates provided by Akka for CVE-2021-42697