CVE-2021-43802
9.9 · CRITICALOverview
CVE-2021-43802 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting etherpad etherpad. It was published on December 9, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 (CRITICAL).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical Description
Etherpad is a real-time collaborative editor. In versions prior to 1.8.16, an attacker can craft an `*.etherpad` file that, when imported, might allow the attacker to gain admin privileges for the Etherpad instance. This, in turn, can be used to install a malicious Etherpad plugin that can execute arbitrary code (including system commands). To gain privileges, the attacker must be able to trigger deletion of `express-session` state or wait for old `express-session` state to be cleaned up. Core Etherpad does not delete any `express-session` state, so the only known attacks require either a plugin that can delete session state or a custom cleanup process (such as a cron job that deletes old `sessionstorage:*` records). The problem has been fixed in version 1.8.16. If users cannot upgrade to 1.8.16 or install patches manually, several workarounds are available. Users may configure their reverse proxies to reject requests to `/p/*/import`, which will block all imports, not just `*.etherpad
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from etherpad. Update etherpad to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| etherpad | etherpad | >= 0, < 1.8.16 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-43802?
CVE-2021-43802 is a critical-severity vulnerability affecting etherpad etherpad. It was published on December 9, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9 (CRITICAL).
How severe is CVE-2021-43802?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.9, rated CRITICAL. It can be exploited remotely over the network. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2021-43802?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from etherpad. Update etherpad to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2021-43802?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2021-43802 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
Automated penetration testing that runs continuously, not just quarterly.
AI-driven PR review catches vulnerable dependencies before they ship.
Browser-based exploitation validates findings with real proof-of-concept.
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