CVE-2021-41495

Name: CVE-2021-41495
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-12-17T20:15:08.477+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.3/10EPSS 1.15%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-41495 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.3/10 on the CVSS scale. Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in numpy.sort in NumPy &lt and 1.19 in the PyArray_DescrNew function due to missing return-value validation, which allows attackers to conduct DoS attacks by repetitively creating sort arrays. NOTE: While correct that validation is missing, an error can only occur due to an exhaustion of memory. EPSS estimates a 1.15% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Null Pointer Dereference vulnerability exists in numpy.sort in NumPy &lt and 1.19 in the PyArray_DescrNew function due to missing return-value validation, which allows attackers to conduct DoS attacks by repetitively creating sort arrays. NOTE: While correct that validation is missing, an error can only occur due to an exhaustion of memory. If the user can exhaust memory, they are already privileged. Further, it should be practically impossible to construct an attack which can target the memory exhaustion to occur at exactly this place

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

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

EPSS Probability

1.15%

63.0th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Numpy	Numpy	<= 1.19.0

References

https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/19038Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.htmlThird Party Advisory
https://github.com/numpy/numpy/issues/19038Exploit, Issue Tracking, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.htmlThird Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 17, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-41495?

How severe is CVE-2021-41495?

CVE-2021-41495 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 1.15% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-41495?

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-2021-41495?

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

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Source: NVD / NIST