HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2021-43266
HIGH

CVE-2021-43266

CWE-78Published: November 2, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

7.3
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

In Mahara before 20.04.5, 20.10.3, 21.04.2, and 21.10.0, exporting collections via PDF export could lead to code execution via shell metacharacters in a collection name. Additional, in Mahara before 20.10.4, 21.04.3, and 21.10.1, exporting collections via PDF export could cause code execution

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2021-43266 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

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 7.3.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.Low
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

mahara1 product(s)
mahara
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

ADVISORYhttps://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1942903
ADVISORYhttps://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1949527
ADVISORYhttps://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8952
ADVISORYhttps://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8995
ADVISORYhttps://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1942903
ADVISORYhttps://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1949527
ADVISORYhttps://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8952
ADVISORYhttps://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8995

All References (8)

→
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1942903Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1949527Third Party Advisory
→
https://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8952Vendor Advisory
→
https://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8995Vendor Advisory
→
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1942903Exploit · Third Party Advisory
→
https://bugs.launchpad.net/mahara/+bug/1949527Third Party Advisory
→
https://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8952Vendor Advisory
→
https://mahara.org/interaction/forum/topic.php?id=8995Vendor Advisory

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2021-43266
CVSS Score7.3 / 10
SeverityHIGH
WeaknessCWE-78
CISA KEVNo
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedNov 2, 2021

Related CVEs (CWE-78)

CVE-2026-46339
10.0
CVE-2019-4202
10.0
CVE-2025-10230
10.0
CVE-2020-6364
10.0
CVE-2018-25118
10.0
CVE-2026-6349
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2021-43266 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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