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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2021-38185: GNU cpio through 2.13 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted pattern file, because of a dstring.c ds_fgetstr integer…

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 32/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 4.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 90.9% 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: cpio (AlmaLinux:8) 2.12-11.el8; cpio (Alpine:v3.14) 2.13-r2; cpio (Debian:10) 2.12+dfsg-9+deb10u1.
  • Mentioned 3 times in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Low priority for now. Upgrade to cpio (AlmaLinux:8) 2.12-11.el8; cpio (Alpine:v3.14) 2.13-r2; cpio (Debian:10) 2.12+dfsg-9+deb10u1 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

GNU cpio through 2.13 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted pattern file, because of a dstring.c ds_fgetstr integer overflow that triggers an out-of-bounds heap write. NOTE: it is unclear whether there are common cases where the pattern file, associated with the -E option, is untrusted data.

HighCVSS 7.8 · v3.1—Proof of concept Fix available
Published
Aug 7, 2021
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
4.1% · 90th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

32

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 4.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
  • A fix has been released

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When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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  • 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
gnucpio

Affected versions

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

  • gnu cpioup to 2.13 inclusive

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
AlmaLinux:8cpiobefore 2.12-11.el82.12-11.el8
Alpine:v3.14cpiobefore 2.13-r22.13-r2
Debian:10cpiobefore 2.12+dfsg-9+deb10u12.12+dfsg-9+deb10u1
Debian:12cpiobefore 2.13+dfsg-52.13+dfsg-5
openSUSE:Tumbleweedcpiobefore 2.13-3.32.13-3.3
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseoscpiobefore 0:2.12-11.el80:2.12-11.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseoscpio-debuginfobefore 0:2.12-11.el80:2.12-11.el8
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseoscpio-debugsourcebefore 0:2.12-11.el80:2.12-11.el8
Rocky Linux:8cpiobefore 0:2.12-11.el80:2.12-11.el8
SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8cpiobefore 2.11-36.9.12.11-36.9.1
SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8cpiobefore 2.11-36.15.12.11-36.15.1
SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8cpiobefore 2.11-36.12.12.11-36.12.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2cpiobefore 2.12-3.9.12.12-3.9.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3cpiobefore 2.9-75.81.8.12.9-75.81.8.1
SUSE:Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3cpiobefore 2.9-75.81.14.12.9-75.81.14.1

Same product

gnu: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2019-14866In all versions of cpio before 2.13 does not properly validate input files when generating TAR archives.
    29Monitor
  • CVE-2010-4226cpio, as used in build 2007.05.10, 2010.07.28, and possibly other versions, allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a…
    29Monitor
  • CVE-2016-2037The cpio_safer_name_suffix function in util.c in cpio 2.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) via a…
    28Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2014-9112Dec 2, 2014 · Heap-based buffer overflow in the process_copy_in function in GNU Cpio 2.11 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a…
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2015-1197Feb 19, 2015 · cpio 2.11, when using the --no-absolute-filenames option, allows local users to write to arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a file in…
    8Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2023-7216Feb 5, 2024 · Cpio: extraction allows symlinks which enables remote command execution
    21Monitor

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
almalinux:cpio2.12-11.el8 · AlmaLinux:8Package registry (OSV)
alpine:cpio2.13-r2 · Alpine:v3.14Package registry (OSV)
debian:cpio2.13+dfsg-5 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
opensuse:cpio2.13-3.3 · openSUSE:TumbleweedPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:cpio0:2.12-11.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:cpio-debuginfo0:2.12-11.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:cpio-debugsource0:2.12-11.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::baseosPackage registry (OSV)
rocky linux:cpio0:2.12-11.el8 · Rocky Linux:8Package registry (OSV)
suse:cpio2.11-36.12.1 · SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:52021-07-19

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.

  1. First PoC-20 d
  2. Published
  3. TodayNov 11, 2026+1922 d

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.

Credits

All researchers

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

No credits in the CNA record.

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).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

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

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-190 · Integer Overflow or Wraparound

CVSS vector

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

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

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

References

Show all references (1 more)

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

All records