MEDIUM CVSS 6.4
Published: 2021-02-25

CVE-2021-20327

mongodb libmongocrypt Security Advisory (CVE-2021-20327)
โ†— Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-20327 impacting mongodb libmongocrypt. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.4 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
A specific version of the Node.js mongodb-client-encryption module does not perform correct validation of the KMS serverโ€™s certificate. This vulnerability in combination with a privileged network position active MITM attack could result in interception of traffic between the Node.js driver and the KMS service rendering client-side field level encryption (CSFLE) ineffective. This issue was discovered during internal testing and affects mongodb-client-encryption module version 1.2.0, which was available from 2021-Jan-29 and deprecated in the NPM Registry on 2021-Feb-04. This vulnerability does not impact driver traffic payloads with CSFLE-supported key services from applications residing inside the AWS, GCP, and Azure nework fabrics due to compensating controls in these environments. This issue does not impact driver workloads that donโ€™t use Field Level Encryption. This issue affect MongoDB Node.js Driver mongodb-client-encryption module version 1.2.0

๐Ÿ“Š CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Adjacent (AV:A)
Requires shared subnet / local network access
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

๐ŸŽฏ Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product mongodb / libmongocrypt
Affected Versions 1.2.0
Weakness Enumeration CWE-295

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2021-20327 impacting mongodb libmongocrypt.

โšก Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-20327.yaml
id: cve-2021-20327

info:
  name: mongodb libmongocrypt - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-20327 affecting mongodb libmongocrypt.
    Evaluation: A specific version of the Node.js mongodb-client-encryption module does not perform correct validation of the KMS serverโ€™s certificate. This vulnerabi...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-20327
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
    cvss-score: 6.4
    cve-id: CVE-2021-20327
    cwe-id: CWE-295
  tags: cve,cve-2021-20327,mongodb,libmongocrypt,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "libmongocrypt"
        part: body
๐Ÿ PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-20327.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-20327
# Target: mongodb libmongocrypt | CVSS: 6.4 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-20327 (mongodb libmongocrypt)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against mongodb libmongocrypt scope (1.2.0).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-20327.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-20327
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install libmongocrypt 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade libmongocrypt 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update libmongocrypt

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i libmongocrypt 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i libmongocrypt

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
โš ๏ธ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

๐Ÿ”— Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

โ“ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-20327 in mongodb libmongocrypt?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update mongodb libmongocrypt packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2021-20327?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2021-20327?

CVE-2021-20327 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.4 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.4
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-20327
Weakness CWE-295
Vendor mongodb
Product libmongocrypt
Published 2021-02-25
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N