HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-41690
HIGH

CVE-2021-41690

CWE-401Published: June 28, 2022· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.5
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

DCMTK through 3.6.6 does not handle memory free properly. The malloced memory for storing all file information are recorded in a global variable LST and are not freed properly. Sending specific requests to the dcmqrdb program can incur a memory leak. An attacker can use it to launch a DoS attack.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-41690 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 availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.5.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

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

Affected Vendors & Products

offis1 product(s)
dcmtk
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://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk/commit/a9697dfeb672b0b9412c00c7d36d801e27ec85cb
PATCHhttps://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk/commit/a9697dfeb672b0b9412c00c7d36d801e27ec85cb
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk
ADVISORYhttps://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk

All References (7)

→
https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtkProduct · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk/commit/a9697dfeb672b0b9412c00c7d36d801e27ec85cbPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00022.html
→
https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtkProduct · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk/commit/a9697dfeb672b0b9412c00c7d36d801e27ec85cbPatch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00022.html
→
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00032.html

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-41690
CVSS Score7.5 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-401
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJun 28, 2022

Related CVEs (CWE-401)

CVE-2023-33718
8.8
CVE-2021-40633
8.8
CVE-2019-6128
8.8
CVE-2019-17340
8.8
CVE-2026-0646
8.7
CVE-2021-1353
8.6

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-41690 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.
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