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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2021-43113: iTextPDF in iText 7 and up to (excluding 4.4.13.3) 7.1.17 allows command injection via a CompareTool filename that is mishandled on the gs…

CriticalCVSS 9.8 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Plan (action score 41/100)

  • 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: 5.4% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 92.8% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. No account or password is required. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
  • Fixed version: libitext5-java (Debian:10) 5.5.13-1+deb10u1; libitext5-java (Debian:11) 5.5.13.2-1+deb11u1; libitext5-java (Debian:12) 5.5.13.3-1.

Add it to your regular patch cycle. Upgrade to libitext5-java (Debian:10) 5.5.13-1+deb10u1; libitext5-java (Debian:11) 5.5.13.2-1+deb11u1; libitext5-java (Debian:12) 5.5.13.3-1 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

iTextPDF in iText 7 and up to (excluding 4.4.13.3) 7.1.17 allows command injection via a CompareTool filename that is mishandled on the gs (aka Ghostscript) command line in GhostscriptHelper.java.

Published
Dec 15, 2021
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
5.4% · 92th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

41

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
2 / 30 · 5.4%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
yes
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
  • 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.

Follow CVE-2021-43113

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
itextpdfitext
debiandebian linux

Affected versions

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

  • debian debian linux10.0
  • debian debian linux11.0
  • itextpdf itext7.0.0 and later · before 7.1.17

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:10libitext5-javabefore 5.5.13-1+deb10u15.5.13-1+deb10u1
Debian:11libitext5-javabefore 5.5.13.2-1+deb11u15.5.13.2-1+deb11u1
Debian:12libitext5-javabefore 5.5.13.3-15.5.13.3-1
Mavencom.itextpdf:itext7-corebefore 7.1.177.1.17
Mavencom.itextpdf:itextpdfbefore 5.5.13.35.5.13.3

Same product

itextpdf: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2017-9096The XML parsers in iText before 5.5.12 and 7.x before 7.0.3 do not disable external entities, which might allow remote attackers to conduct…
    38Monitor
  • CVE-2023-6299Apryse iText Reference Table PdfDocument.java memory leak
    26Monitor
  • CVE-2023-6298Apryse iText PdfDocument.java main array index
    26Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • Later →CVE-2022-24196Feb 1, 2022 · iText v7.1.17, up to (exluding)": 7.1.18 and 7.2.2 was discovered to contain an out-of-memory error via the component readStreamBytesRaw…
    26Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2022-24197Feb 1, 2022 · iText v7.1.17 was discovered to contain a stack-based buffer overflow via the component ByteBuffer.append, which allows attackers to cause…
    26Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2022-24198Feb 1, 2022 · iText v7.1.17 was discovered to contain an out-of-bounds exception via the component ARCFOUREncryption.encryptARCFOUR, which allows…
    26Monitor

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
debian:libitext5-java5.5.13.3-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
Maven:com.itextpdf:itext7-core7.1.17Package registry (OSV)
Maven:com.itextpdf:itextpdf5.5.13.3Package 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.

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • 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
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-77 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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

—

References

Show all references (3 more)

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

All records