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TI-2021-20121 Aliases CVE-2021-44521GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8

Remote code execution for scripted UDFs

Priority HIGH 73CWE-94Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
High
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 12 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-94.

Summary

When running Apache Cassandra with the following configuration: enable_user_defined_functions: true enable_scripted_user_defined_functions: true enable_user_defined_functions_threads: false it is possible for an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the host. The attacker would need to have enough permissions to create user defined functions in the cluster to be able to exploit this. Note that this configuration is documented as unsafe, and will continue to be considered unsafe after this CVE.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.58896 99th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 1 exploit referenceTagged by NVD
Fix Partial Apache Cassandra (Apache Software Foundation): 3.0.26, 3.11.12, 4.0.2org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven): 3.0.26, 3.11.12, 4.0.2Red Hat: 12 without a fix

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
ApacheApache Cassandra3.0.0 and later; before 3.0.26; 3.1 and later; before 3.11.12; 4.0.0 and later; before 4.0.23.0.26, 3.11.12, 4.0.2Patch availableCNA
—org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven)before 3.0.263.0.26Patch availableGHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8
—org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven)3.11.0 to before 3.11.123.11.12Patch availableGHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8
—org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven)4.0.0 to before 4.0.24.0.2Patch availableGHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8
  • Apache Cassandra VendorApache Affected 3.0.0 and later; before 3.0.26; 3.1 and later; before 3.11.12; 4.0.0 and later; before 4.0.2 Fixed in 3.0.26, 3.11.12, 4.0.2 Patch available CNA
  • org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven) Vendor— Affected before 3.0.26 Fixed in 3.0.26 Patch available GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8
  • org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven) Vendor— Affected 3.11.0 to before 3.11.12 Fixed in 3.11.12 Patch available GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8
  • org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven) Vendor— Affected 4.0.0 to before 4.0.2 Fixed in 4.0.2 Patch available GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:apache:cassandra:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*3.0.0 to before 3.0.26; 3.11.0 to before 3.11.12; 4.0.0 to before 4.0.2VulnerableApache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:cassandra:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.0.0 to before 3.0.26; 3.11.0 to before 3.11.12; 4.0.0 to before 4.0.2 Vulnerable ·Apache

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Apache Cassandra (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 3.0.26, 3.11.12, 4.0.2
  • Fix · GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8 org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven) Fixed in 3.0.26 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8 org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven) Fixed in 3.11.12 Advisory →
  • Fix · GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8 org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (Maven) Fixed in 4.0.2 Advisory →

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Fuse 7AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat JBoss Data Grid 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat JBoss Data Virtualization 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat JBoss Fuse 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat JBoss Fuse Service Works 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat JBoss Operations Network 3AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 3.11AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat OpenStack Platform 10 (Newton)AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat OpenStack Platform 13 (Queens)AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Openshift Container Storage 4AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Openshift Data Foundation 4AffectedNo fix planned: Will not fix
Not affected: 14 products
  • A-MQ Clients 2
  • Distributed Tracing Jaeger 1
  • Red Hat Data Grid 8
  • Red Hat Integration Camel K 1
  • Red Hat Integration Camel Quarkus 1
  • Red Hat Integration Data Virtualisation Operator
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 7
  • Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform Expansion Pack
  • Red Hat OpenShift Application Runtimes
  • Red Hat OpenShift distributed tracing 2
  • Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.1
  • Red Hat OpenStack Platform 16.2
  • Red Hat build of Quarkus
  • streams for Apache Kafka

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-44521
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8ffc-79xg-29w8

References

Exploit 1

Advisory 4

Other 4

  • TI-2016-02888 Unspecified vulnerability in Oracle Java SE 6u113, 7u99, and 8u77; Java SE Embedded 8u77… KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2019-02233 Vulnerability in the Java SE, Java SE Embedded component of Oracle Java SE (subcomponent… CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.9
  • TI-2018-05793 Missing authentication in Apache Cassandra CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2016-04292 handler/ssl/OpenSslEngine.java in Netty 4.0.x before 4.0.37.Final and 4.1.x before… CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
  • TI-2025-16827 Apache Cassandra: User with MODIFY permission on ALL KEYSPACES can escalate privileges to superuser via unsafe actions CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2015-00197 The default configuration in Apache Cassandra 1.2.0 through 1.2.19, 2.0.0 through 2.0.13… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
See all 15 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences