CVE-2021-3701

Name: CVE-2021-3701
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2022-08-23T16:15:09.5+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.6/10EPSS 0.26%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-3701 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.6/10 on the CVSS scale. A flaw was found in ansible-runner where the default temporary files configuration in ansible-2.0.0 are written to world R/W locations. This flaw allows an attacker to pre-create the directory, resulting in reading private information or forcing ansible-runner to write files as the legitimate user in a place they did not expect. EPSS estimates a 0.26% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A flaw was found in ansible-runner where the default temporary files configuration in ansible-2.0.0 are written to world R/W locations. This flaw allows an attacker to pre-create the directory, resulting in reading private information or forcing ansible-runner to write files as the legitimate user in a place they did not expect. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality and integrity.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.6/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.26%

17.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Redhat	Ansible Runner	2.0.0

References

https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-3701Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1977959Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/ansible/ansible-runner/issues/738Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ansible/ansible-runner/pull/742/commitsPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-3701Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1977959Issue Tracking, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/ansible/ansible-runner/issues/738Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/ansible/ansible-runner/pull/742/commitsPatch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 23, 2022
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3701?

How severe is CVE-2021-3701?

CVE-2021-3701 has a CVSS score of 6.6/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.26% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-3701?

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-2021-3701?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST