CVE-2021-39159

Name: CVE-2021-39159
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-08-25T19:15:14.177+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 1.93%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-39159 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. BinderHub is a kubernetes-based cloud service that allows users to share reproducible interactive computing environments from code repositories. In affected versions a remote code execution vulnerability has been identified in BinderHub, where providing BinderHub with maliciously crafted input could execute code in the BinderHub context, with the potential to egress credentials of the BinderHub deployment, including JupyterHub API tokens, kubernetes service accounts, and docker registry credentials. EPSS estimates a 1.93% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

BinderHub is a kubernetes-based cloud service that allows users to share reproducible interactive computing environments from code repositories. In affected versions a remote code execution vulnerability has been identified in BinderHub, where providing BinderHub with maliciously crafted input could execute code in the BinderHub context, with the potential to egress credentials of the BinderHub deployment, including JupyterHub API tokens, kubernetes service accounts, and docker registry credentials. This may provide the ability to manipulate images and other user created pods in the deployment, with the potential to escalate to the host depending on the underlying kubernetes configuration. Users are advised to update to version 0.2.0-n653. If users are unable to update they may disable the git repo provider by specifying the `BinderHub.repo_providers` as a workaround.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.93%

77.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Jupyter	Binderhub	< 0.2.0-n653

References

https://github.com/jupyterhub/binderhub/commit/195caac172690456dcdc8cc7a6ca50e05abf8182.patchMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/jupyterhub/binderhub/security/advisories/GHSA-9jjr-qqfp-ppwxPatch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/jupyterhub/binderhub/commit/195caac172690456dcdc8cc7a6ca50e05abf8182.patchMailing List, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/jupyterhub/binderhub/security/advisories/GHSA-9jjr-qqfp-ppwxPatch, Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Aug 25, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-39159?

How severe is CVE-2021-39159?

CVE-2021-39159 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.93% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-39159?

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-2021-39159?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST