How severe is CVE-2021-29481?

CVE-2021-29481 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-29481 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (36th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-29481?

CVE-2021-29481 affects Ratpack Project Ratpack. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-29481?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2021-29481 published?

CVE-2021-29481 was published on 2021-06-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-29481

CVE-2021-29481 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ratpack Project Ratpack with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-312.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (36th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-312
Affected product: Ratpack Project Ratpack
Published: 2021-06-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Ratpack is a toolkit for creating web applications. In versions prior to 1.9.0, the default configuration of client side sessions results in unencrypted, but signed, data being set as cookie values. This means that if something sensitive goes into the session, it could be read by something with access to the cookies. For this to be a vulnerability, some kind of sensitive data would need to be stored in the session and the session cookie would have to leak. For example, the cookies are not configured with httpOnly and an adjacent XSS vulnerability within the site allowed capture of the cookies. As of version 1.9.0, a securely randomly generated signing key is used. As a workaround, one may supply an encryption key, as per the documentation recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-29481?: Ratpack is a toolkit for creating web applications. In versions prior to 1.9.0, the default configuration of client side sessions results in unencrypted, but signed, data being set as cookie values. This means that if something sensitive goes into the session, it could be read by something with access to the cookies. For this to be a vulnerability, some kind of sensitive data would need to be stored in the session and the session cookie would have to leak. For example, the cookies are not configured with httpOnly and an adjacent XSS vulnerability within the site allowed capture of the cookies. As of version 1.9.0, a securely randomly generated signing key is used. As a workaround, one may supply an encryption key, as per the documentation recommendation.
How severe is CVE-2021-29481?: CVE-2021-29481 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-29481 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (36th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-29481?: CVE-2021-29481 affects Ratpack Project Ratpack. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-29481?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-29481 published?: CVE-2021-29481 was published on 2021-06-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:ratpack_project:ratpack:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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