How severe is CVE-2021-20502?

CVE-2021-20502 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability low.

Is CVE-2021-20502 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-20502?

CVE-2021-20502 primarily affects Ibm Engineering Insights. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20502?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2021-20502 published?

CVE-2021-20502 was published on 2021-03-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-20502

CVE-2021-20502 is a high-severity vulnerability in Ibm Engineering Insights with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-611.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.1)
CVSS v2: 5.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (69th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-611
Affected product: Ibm Engineering Insights
Published: 2021-03-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

IBM Jazz Foundation Products are vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose sensitive information or consume memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 198059.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-20502?: IBM Jazz Foundation Products are vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when processing XML data. A remote attacker could exploit this vulnerability to expose sensitive information or consume memory resources. IBM X-Force ID: 198059.
How severe is CVE-2021-20502?: CVE-2021-20502 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2021-20502 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (69th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-20502?: CVE-2021-20502 primarily affects Ibm Engineering Insights. In total, 14 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-20502?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-20502 published?: CVE-2021-20502 was published on 2021-03-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (14)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_insights:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_insights:7.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_insights:7.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_lifecycle_management:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_requirements_quality_assistant_on-premises:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_workflow_management:7.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_workflow_management:7.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:engineering_workflow_management:7.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:rational_engineering_lifecycle_manager:6.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:rational_engineering_lifecycle_manager:6.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:rational_engineering_lifecycle_manager:6.0.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:rational_team_concert:6.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:rational_team_concert:6.0.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:rational_team_concert:6.0.6.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (XXE)) vulnerabilities

CVE-2022-22486 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): IBM Tivoli Workload Scheduler 9.4, 9.5, and 10.1 is vulnerable to an XML External Entity Injection (XXE) attack when…
CVE-2019-14678 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): SAS XML Mapper 9.45 has an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability that can be leveraged by malicious attackers in…
CVE-2015-9280 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): MailEnable before 8.60 allows XXE via an XML document in the request.aspx Options parameter.
CVE-2018-1000838 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): autopsy version <= 4.9.0 contains a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in CaseMetadata XML Parser that can result…
CVE-2018-1000837 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): UML Designer version <= 8.0.0 contains a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in XML parser for plugins that can…
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