HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-38195
CRITICAL

CVE-2021-38195

CWE-347Published: August 8, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered in the libsecp256k1 crate before 0.5.0 for Rust. It can verify an invalid signature because it allows the R or S parameter to be larger than the curve order, aka an overflow.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-38195 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.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

parity1 product(s)
libsecp256k1
Source: NVD CPE · 1 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

PATCHhttps://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.html
PATCHhttps://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.html
ADVISORYhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/rustsec/advisory-db/main/crates/libsecp256k1/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.md
ADVISORYhttps://raw.githubusercontent.com/rustsec/advisory-db/main/crates/libsecp256k1/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.md

All References (4)

→
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rustsec/advisory-db/main/crates/libsecp256k1/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.mdThird Party Advisory
→
https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.htmlExploit · Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rustsec/advisory-db/main/crates/libsecp256k1/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.mdThird Party Advisory
→
https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2021-0076.htmlExploit · Issue Tracking · Patch · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-38195
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-347
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 8, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-347)

CVE-2024-32962
10.0
CVE-2026-56451
10.0
CVE-2026-48558
KEV10.0
CVE-2026-44748
9.9
CVE-2024-23480
9.8
CVE-2019-1010263
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-38195 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.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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