CVE-2021-28153

Name: CVE-2021-28153
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-03-11T22:15:12.777+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.3/10EPSS 2.62%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-28153 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.3/10 on the CVSS scale. An issue was discovered in GNOME GLib before 2.66.8. When g_file_replace() is used with G_FILE_CREATE_REPLACE_DESTINATION to replace a path that is a dangling symlink, it incorrectly also creates the target of the symlink as an empty file, which could conceivably have security relevance if the symlink is attacker-controlled. EPSS estimates a 2.62% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

An issue was discovered in GNOME GLib before 2.66.8. When g_file_replace() is used with G_FILE_CREATE_REPLACE_DESTINATION to replace a path that is a dangling symlink, it incorrectly also creates the target of the symlink as an empty file, which could conceivably have security relevance if the symlink is attacker-controlled. (If the path is a symlink to a file that already exists, then the contents of that file correctly remain unchanged.)

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

EPSS Probability

2.62%

83.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-59

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gnome	Glib	< 2.66.8
Broadcom	Brocade Fabric Operating System Firmware	All versions
Debian	Debian Linux	9.0
Fedoraproject	Fedora	33

References

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/issues/2325Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/06/msg00006.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/6RXTD5HCP2K4AAUSWWZTBKQNHRCTAEOF/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ICUTQPHZNZWX2DZR46QFLQZRHVMHIILJ/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-13Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210416-0003/Third Party Advisory
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/glib/-/issues/2325Exploit, Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/06/msg00006.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/6RXTD5HCP2K4AAUSWWZTBKQNHRCTAEOF/
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/ICUTQPHZNZWX2DZR46QFLQZRHVMHIILJ/
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-13Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210416-0003/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 11, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-28153?

How severe is CVE-2021-28153?

CVE-2021-28153 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.62% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-28153?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-28153?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST