CVE-2021-46877 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE record involves a vulnerability in jackson-databind that allows attackers to cause a denial of service through JsonNode JDK serialization.

Understanding CVE-2021-46877

This CVE pertains to a specific issue in the jackson-databind library that can be exploited by attackers to trigger a denial of service attack.

What is CVE-2021-46877?

CVE-2021-46877 is a vulnerability found in jackson-databind versions 2.10.x through 2.12.x prior to 2.12.6 and 2.13.x prior to 2.13.1. It enables attackers to exploit JsonNode JDK serialization to induce a denial of service, resulting in a significant transient heap usage per read.

The Impact of CVE-2021-46877

The vulnerability has the potential to cause a denial of service attack on systems using the affected versions of the jackson-databind library. By exploiting this issue, an attacker can consume up to 2 GB of transient heap space per read in specific scenarios involving JsonNode JDK serialization.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-46877

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE and its implications.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in jackson-databind versions 2.10.x through 2.12.x before 2.12.6 and 2.13.x before 2.13.1 allows for a denial of service attack through JsonNode JDK serialization, leading to a substantial transient heap usage per read in certain uncommon situations.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: n/a
Product: n/a
Versions: All versions of jackson-databind 2.10.x through 2.12.x before 2.12.6 and 2.13.x before 2.13.1 are impacted.
Status: Affected

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker leveraging the JsonNode JDK serialization feature in jackson-databind. By exploiting specific scenarios, the attacker can cause a denial of service, resulting in a significant transient heap usage per read.

Mitigation and Prevention

Here are the essential steps to mitigate and prevent the exploitation of CVE-2021-46877.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update to the patched versions 2.12.6 or 2.13.1 of jackson-databind to address the vulnerability.
Monitor system resources for any unexpected spikes in heap usage that could indicate a potential attack.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement network-level protections such as firewalls to filter and monitor incoming and outgoing traffic.
Regularly review and update the software libraries in use to ensure they are patched against known vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply the latest patches and updates provided by the jackson-databind project to mitigate the CVE-2021-46877 vulnerability.