CVE-2021-35942

Name: CVE-2021-35942
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-07-22T18:15:23.287+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.1/10EPSS 2.68%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-35942 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.1/10 on the CVSS scale. The wordexp function in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.33 may crash or read arbitrary memory in parse_param (in posix/wordexp.c) when called with an untrusted, crafted pattern, potentially resulting in a denial of service or disclosure of information. This occurs because atoi was used but strtoul should have been used to ensure correct calculations.. EPSS estimates a 2.68% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

The wordexp function in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.33 may crash or read arbitrary memory in parse_param (in posix/wordexp.c) when called with an untrusted, crafted pattern, potentially resulting in a denial of service or disclosure of information. This occurs because atoi was used but strtoul should have been used to ensure correct calculations.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.1/10

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

EPSS Probability

2.68%

83.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gnu	Glibc	< 2.31
Netapp	Active Iq Unified Manager	All versions
Netapp	E-Series Santricity Os Controller	>= 11.0, <= 11.70.1
Netapp	Hci Management Node	All versions
Netapp	Ontap Select Deploy Administration Utility	All versions
Netapp	Solidfire	All versions
Debian	Debian Linux	10.0

References

https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00021.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-24Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210827-0005/Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=28011Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=5adda61f62b77384718b4c0d8336ade8f2b4b35cBroken Link
https://sourceware.org/glibc/wiki/Security%20ExceptionsNot Applicable
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00021.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-24Third Party Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210827-0005/Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=28011Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=5adda61f62b77384718b4c0d8336ade8f2b4b35cBroken Link
https://sourceware.org/glibc/wiki/Security%20ExceptionsNot Applicable

Timeline

Published: Jul 22, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-35942?

How severe is CVE-2021-35942?

CVE-2021-35942 has a CVSS score of 9.1/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 2.68% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-35942?

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-2021-35942?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST