CVE-2021-20231
CWE-416Published: March 12, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
A flaw was found in gnutls. A use after free issue in client sending key_share extension may lead to memory corruption and other consequences.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2021-20231 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (24)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-416)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2021-20231 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts