MEDIUM CVSS 6.5
Published: 2021-04-22

CVE-2021-31553

mediawiki mediawiki Security Advisory (CVE-2021-31553)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2021-31553 impacting mediawiki mediawiki. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
An issue was discovered in the CheckUser extension for MediaWiki through 1.35.2. MediaWiki usernames with trailing whitespace could be stored in the cu_log database table such that denial of service occurred for certain CheckUser extension pages and functionality. For example, the attacker could turn off Special:CheckUserLog and thus interfere with usage tracking.

📊 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
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
Low (I:L)
Partial data modification possible
Availability
Low (A:L)
Partial service performance degradation

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product mediawiki / mediawiki
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-428

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-2021-31553 impacting mediawiki mediawiki.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2021-31553.yaml
id: cve-2021-31553

info:
  name: mediawiki mediawiki - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2021-31553 affecting mediawiki mediawiki.
    Evaluation: An issue was discovered in the CheckUser extension for MediaWiki through 1.35.2. MediaWiki usernames with trailing whitespace could be stored in the c...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2021-31553
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L
    cvss-score: 6.5
    cve-id: CVE-2021-31553
    cwe-id: CWE-428
  tags: cve,cve-2021-31553,mediawiki,mediawiki,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "mediawiki"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2021-31553.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2021-31553
# Target: mediawiki mediawiki | CVSS: 6.5 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2021-31553 (mediawiki mediawiki)...")
    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 mediawiki mediawiki 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-2021-31553.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2021-31553
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install mediawiki 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade mediawiki 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update mediawiki

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

# 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-2021-31553 in mediawiki mediawiki?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update mediawiki mediawiki 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-2021-31553?

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-2021-31553?

CVE-2021-31553 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.5 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.5
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2021-31553
Weakness CWE-428
Vendor mediawiki
Product mediawiki
Published 2021-04-22
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L