HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-42141
CRITICAL

CVE-2021-42141

CWE-755Published: January 22, 2024· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An issue was discovered in Contiki-NG tinyDTLS through 2018-08-30. One incorrect handshake could complete with different epoch numbers in the packets Client_Hello, Client_key_exchange, and Change_cipher_spec, which may cause denial of service.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-42141 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

contiki-ng1 product(s)
tinydtls
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
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Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/contiki-ng/tinydtls/issues/27
PATCHhttps://github.com/contiki-ng/tinydtls/issues/27
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176625/Contiki-NG-tinyDTLS-Denial-Of-Service.html
ADVISORYhttps://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/14
ADVISORYhttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176625/Contiki-NG-tinyDTLS-Denial-Of-Service.html
ADVISORYhttps://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/14

All References (7)

→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176625/Contiki-NG-tinyDTLS-Denial-Of-Service.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://github.com/contiki-ng/tinydtls/issues/27Patch
→
https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/14Mailing List · Third Party Advisory
→
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/176625/Contiki-NG-tinyDTLS-Denial-Of-Service.htmlThird Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/14
→
https://github.com/contiki-ng/tinydtls/issues/27Patch
→
https://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2024/Jan/14Mailing List · Third Party Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-42141
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-755
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedJan 22, 2024

Related CVEs (CWE-755)

CVE-2019-12815
9.8
CVE-2025-34193
9.8
CVE-2017-2877
9.8
CVE-2018-19991
9.8
CVE-2025-10156
9.8
CVE-2019-14431
9.8

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-42141 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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