Is CVE-2021-21796 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2021-21796 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2021-21796 be exploited remotely?

No. CVE-2021-21796 requires local access to exploit.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-21796?

CVE-2021-21796 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH).

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HIGH

CVE-2021-21796

CWE-416Published: October 18, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An exploitable use-after-free vulnerability exists in the JavaScript implementation of Nitro Pro PDF. A specially crafted document can cause an object containing the path to a document to be destroyed and then later reused, resulting in a use-after-free vulnerability, which can lead to code execution under the context of the application. An attacker can convince a user to open a document to trigger this vulnerability.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-21796 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation does not require any privileges, though user interaction (Required) is needed, which slightly reduces the risk of mass automated attacks.

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 7.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.