MEDIUM CVSS 4.3
Published: 2021-02-08

CVE-2021-21288

carrierwave_project carrierwave Security Advisory (CVE-2021-21288)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-21288 impacting carrierwave_project carrierwave. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 4.3 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
CarrierWave is an open-source RubyGem which provides a simple and flexible way to upload files from Ruby applications. In CarrierWave before versions 1.3.2 and 2.1.1 the download feature has an SSRF vulnerability, allowing attacks to provide DNS entries or IP addresses that are intended for internal use and gather information about the Intranet infrastructure of the platform. This is fixed in versions 1.3.2 and 2.1.1.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
Low (C:L)
Partial information leakage
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product carrierwave_project / carrierwave
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-918

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-2021-21288 impacting carrierwave_project carrierwave.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-21288.yaml
id: cve-2021-21288

info:
  name: carrierwave_project carrierwave - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-21288 affecting carrierwave_project carrierwave.
    Evaluation: CarrierWave is an open-source RubyGem which provides a simple and flexible way to upload files from Ruby applications. In CarrierWave before versions ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-21288
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 4.3
    cve-id: CVE-2021-21288
    cwe-id: CWE-918
  tags: cve,cve-2021-21288,carrierwave_project,carrierwave,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "carrierwave"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-21288.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-21288
# Target: carrierwave_project carrierwave | CVSS: 4.3 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-21288 (carrierwave_project carrierwave)...")
    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 carrierwave_project carrierwave scope (*).")
        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)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2021-21288.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-21288
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install carrierwave 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade carrierwave 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update carrierwave

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

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

🛡️ 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.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-21288 in carrierwave_project carrierwave?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update carrierwave_project carrierwave 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-2021-21288?

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-2021-21288?

CVE-2021-21288 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 4.3 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
4.3
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-21288
Weakness CWE-918
Vendor carrierwave_project
Product carrierwave
Published 2021-02-08
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N