CRITICAL
CVE-2021-22945
CWE-415Published: September 23, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
9.1
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
When sending data to an MQTT server, libcurl <= 7.73.0 and 7.78.0 could in some circumstances erroneously keep a pointer to an already freed memory area and both use that again in a subsequent call to send data and also free it *again*.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2021-22945 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), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.1.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Affected Vendors & Products
Apple1 product(s)
macos
Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
Fedora1 product(s)
fedora
haxx1 product(s)
libcurl
netapp18 product(s)
cloud backupclustered data ontaph300s firmwareh300sh500s firmwareh500sh700s firmwareh700sh300e firmwareh300eh500e firmwareh500e+6
Oracle1 product(s)
mysql server
siemens1 product(s)
sinec ins
splunk1 product(s)
universal forwarder
Source: NVD CPE · 27 total CPE entries
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (20)
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/Mar/29Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdfPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://hackerone.com/reports/1269242Exploit · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/APOAK4X73EJTAPTSVT7IRVDMUWVXNWGD/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RWLEC6YVEM2HWUBX67SDGPSY4CQB72OE/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202212-01Third Party Advisory
→
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211029-0003/Third Party Advisory
→
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213183Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.debian.org/security/2022/dsa-5197Third Party Advisory
→
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.htmlPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2022/Mar/29Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/pdf/ssa-389290.pdfPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://hackerone.com/reports/1269242Exploit · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/APOAK4X73EJTAPTSVT7IRVDMUWVXNWGD/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/RWLEC6YVEM2HWUBX67SDGPSY4CQB72OE/Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2021-22945
CVSS Score9.1 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-415
CISA KEVNo
Affected8 vendor(s)
PublishedSep 23, 2021
Related CVEs (CWE-415)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2021-22945 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWatch. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.