CVE-2021-22946
7.5 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2021-22946 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting haxx curl. It was published on September 29, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
A user can tell curl >= 7.20.0 and <= 7.78.0 to require a successful upgrade to TLS when speaking to an IMAP, POP3 or FTP server (`--ssl-reqd` on the command line or`CURLOPT_USE_SSL` set to `CURLUSESSL_CONTROL` or `CURLUSESSL_ALL` withlibcurl). This requirement could be bypassed if the server would return a properly crafted but perfectly legitimate response.This flaw would then make curl silently continue its operations **withoutTLS** contrary to the instructions and expectations, exposing possibly sensitive data in clear text over the network.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from haxx. Update curl to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| haxx | curl | >= 7.20.0, < 7.79.0 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-22946?
CVE-2021-22946 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting haxx curl. It was published on September 29, 2021 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2021-22946?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2021-22946?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from haxx. Update curl to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2021-22946?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2021-22946 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
AI agents map your attack surface to find vulnerabilities like this one.
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