Lynx through 2.8.9 mishandles the userinfo subcomponent of a URI, which allows remote…
Priority LOW 31CWE-522Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 1 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-522.
Summary
Lynx through 2.8.9 mishandles the userinfo subcomponent of a URI, which allows remote attackers to discover cleartext credentials because they may appear in SNI data.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.03944 90th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 1 fixed, 1 without a fix
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:lynx_project:lynx:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | up to 2.8.9 | Vulnerable | Lynx Project |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 9.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 10.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 33 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 34 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 35 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
- cpe:2.3:a:lynx_project:lynx:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions up to 2.8.9 Vulnerable ·Lynx Project
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 9.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 33 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 34 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 35 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
Remediation
Red Hat 1 advisory
- RHSA-2022:2129 Released 2022-05-10 · Red Hat rating Moderatelynx security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) lynx-2.8.9-4.el8
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2022:2129 |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-38165
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-88f3-hp86-v36f
References
Advisory 12
- https://bugs.debian.org/991971
- https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/08/07/1
- https://lynx.invisible-island.net/current/CHANGES.html
- https://github.com/w3c/libwww/blob/f010b4cc58d32f34b162f0084fe093f7097a61f0/Library/src/HTParse.c#L118
- [oss-security] 20210807 Re: Bug#991971: [Lynx-dev] bug in Lynx' SSL certificate validation -> leaks password in clear text via SNI (under some circumstances)
- [oss-security] 20210807 Re: Re: Bug#991971: [Lynx-dev] bug in Lynx' SSL certificate validation -> leaks password in clear text via SNI (under some circumstances)
- [oss-security] 20210807 Re: Re: Bug#991971: [Lynx-dev] bug in Lynx' SSL certificate validation -> leaks password in clear text via SNI (under some circumstances)
- [debian-lts-announce] 20210809 [SECURITY] [DLA 2736-1] lynx security update
- DSA-4953
- FEDORA-2021-f59bda7d94
- FEDORA-2021-232161e4d5
- FEDORA-2021-57287bd052
Sources
- CVE-2021-38165 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-38165 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-88f3-hp86-v36f · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-38165 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences