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NVD / CVE Program· CNA apache

CVE-2021-28657: Infinite loop in Apache Tika's MP3 parser

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 23/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 2.7% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 86.1% of all records.
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. No account or password is required. A user must open a link or visit a page. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: org.apache.tika:tika (Maven) 1.26; cobbler (SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0) 3.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-7.22.3; grafana-formula (SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0) 0.2.3-4.16.3.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to org.apache.tika:tika (Maven) 1.26; cobbler (SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0) 3.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-7.22.3; grafana-formula (SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0) 0.2.3-4.16.3 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

A carefully crafted or corrupt file may trigger an infinite loop in Tika's MP3Parser up to and including Tika 1.25. Apache Tika users should upgrade to 1.26 or later.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Mar 31, 2021
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.7% · 86th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

23

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 2.7%

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

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When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
apachetika
oraclehealthcare foundation
oracleprimavera unifier
oraclewebcenter portal
oraclecommunications messaging server

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • apache tikaup to 1.25 inclusive
  • oracle communications messaging server8.1
  • oracle healthcare foundation7.3.0
  • oracle healthcare foundation8.0.0
  • oracle healthcare foundation8.1.0
  • oracle primavera unifier17.7 and later · up to 17.12 inclusive
  • oracle primavera unifier18.8
  • oracle primavera unifier19.12
  • oracle primavera unifier20.12
  • oracle webcenter portal12.2.1.3.0
  • oracle webcenter portal12.2.1.4.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (apache). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache Tika

    • Apache Tika and later · before 1.26affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:11tikafrom 0—
Mavenorg.apache.tika:tikabefore 1.261.26
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0cobblerbefore 3.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-7.22.33.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-7.22.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0grafana-formulabefore 0.2.3-4.16.30.2.3-4.16.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0patterns-suse-managerbefore 4.0-9.19.34.0-9.19.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0prometheus-exporters-formulabefore 0.7.6-3.19.30.7.6-3.19.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0pxe-default-image-sle15before 4.0.1-202106211458024.0.1-20210621145802
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0py26-compat-saltbefore 2016.11.10-10.28.32016.11.10-10.28.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0py27-compat-saltbefore 3000.3-4.3.33000.3-4.3.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0spacewalk-backendbefore 4.0.38-3.47.44.0.38-3.47.4
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0spacewalk-javabefore 4.0.44-3.57.54.0.44-3.57.5
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0spacewalk-utilsbefore 4.0.21-3.30.34.0.21-3.30.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0spacewalk-webbefore 4.0.28-3.45.14.0.28-3.45.1
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0susemanagerbefore 4.0.34-3.52.34.0.34-3.52.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0susemanager-doc-indexesbefore 4.0-10.36.44.0-10.36.4
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0susemanager-docs_enbefore 4.0-10.36.34.0-10.36.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0susemanager-slsbefore 4.0.35-3.48.34.0.35-3.48.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.0tika-corebefore 1.26-3.6.31.26-3.6.3
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1cobblerbefore 3.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-5.11.13.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-5.11.1
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1golang-github-prometheus-node_exporterbefore 1.1.2-3.6.51.1.2-3.6.5
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1grafana-formulabefore 0.4.1-3.9.20.4.1-3.9.2
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1patterns-suse-managerbefore 4.1-6.9.24.1-6.9.2
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1prometheus-exporters-formulabefore 0.9.1-3.22.10.9.1-3.22.1
SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1py26-compat-saltbefore 2016.11.10-6.14.22016.11.10-6.14.2

+17

Same product

apache: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2025-66516Apache Tika core, Apache Tika parsers, Apache Tika PDF parser module: Update to CVE-2025-54988 to expand scope of artifacts affected
    66This week
  • CVE-2018-1335From Apache Tika versions 1.7 to 1.17, clients could send carefully crafted headers to tika-server that could be used to inject commands int
    60This week
  • CVE-2025-54988Apache Tika PDF parser module: XXE vulnerability in PDFParser's handling of XFA
    47Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-1951Mar 23, 2020 · A carefully crafted or corrupt PSD file can cause an infinite loop in Apache Tika's PSDParser in versions 1.0-1.23.
    23Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2020-9489Apr 27, 2020 · A carefully crafted or corrupt file may trigger a System.exit in Tika's OneNote Parser.
    23Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2022-25169May 16, 2022 · Apache Tika BPGParser Memory Usage DoS
    23Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Maven:org.apache.tika:tika1.26Package registry (OSV)
suse:cobbler3.0.0+git20190806.32c4bae0-5.11.1 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:golang-github-prometheus-node_exporter1.1.2-3.6.5 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:grafana-formula0.4.1-3.9.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:patterns-suse-manager4.1-6.9.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:prometheus-exporters-formula0.9.1-3.22.1 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:py26-compat-salt2016.11.10-6.14.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:py27-compat-salt3000.3-6.3.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:spacewalk-admin4.1.9-3.12.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:spacewalk-backend4.1.25-4.32.6 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:spacewalk-branding4.1.12-3.12.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:spacewalk-certs-tools4.1.17-3.17.2 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)
suse:spacewalk-java4.1.36-3.44.1 · SUSE:Manager Server Module 4.1Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • A user must open a link or visit a page.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-835 · Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (4 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records