HIGH CVSS 7.8
Published: 2021-10-18

CVE-2021-21797

gonitro nitro_pro Security Advisory (CVE-2021-21797)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-21797 impacting gonitro nitro_pro. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An exploitable double-free vulnerability exists in the JavaScript implementation of Nitro Pro PDF. A specially crafted document can cause a reference to a timeout object to be stored in two different places. When closed, the document will result in the reference being released twice. This can lead to code execution under the context of the application. An attacker can convince a user to open a document to trigger this vulnerability.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local (AV:L)
Requires local system execution permissions
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
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
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product gonitro / nitro_pro
Affected Versions 13.31.0.605
Weakness Enumeration CWE-415

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-2021-21797 impacting gonitro nitro_pro.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-21797.yaml
id: cve-2021-21797

info:
  name: gonitro nitro_pro - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-21797 affecting gonitro nitro_pro.
    Evaluation: An exploitable double-free vulnerability exists in the JavaScript implementation of Nitro Pro PDF. A specially crafted document can cause a reference ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-21797
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 7.8
    cve-id: CVE-2021-21797
    cwe-id: CWE-415
  tags: cve,cve-2021-21797,gonitro,nitro_pro,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "nitro_pro"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-21797.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-21797
# Target: gonitro nitro_pro | CVSS: 7.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-21797 (gonitro nitro_pro)...")
    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 gonitro nitro_pro scope (13.31.0.605).")
        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-2021-21797.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-21797
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install nitro_pro 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade nitro_pro 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update nitro_pro

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

# 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.

🔗 Verified Technical References

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

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2021-21797 in gonitro nitro_pro?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update gonitro nitro_pro 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-2021-21797?

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-2021-21797?

CVE-2021-21797 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 7.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
7.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-21797
Weakness CWE-415
Vendor gonitro
Product nitro_pro
Published 2021-10-18
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H