How severe is CVE-2021-31597?

CVE-2021-31597 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.4, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.

Is CVE-2021-31597 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-31597?

CVE-2021-31597 affects Xmlhttprequest-ssl Project Xmlhttprequest-ssl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-31597?

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

When was CVE-2021-31597 published?

CVE-2021-31597 was published on 2021-04-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-31597

CVE-2021-31597 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Xmlhttprequest-ssl Project Xmlhttprequest-ssl with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.4. 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-295.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.4)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (79th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-295
Affected product: Xmlhttprequest-ssl Project Xmlhttprequest-ssl
Published: 2021-04-23
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The xmlhttprequest-ssl package before 1.6.1 for Node.js disables SSL certificate validation by default, because rejectUnauthorized (when the property exists but is undefined) is considered to be false within the https.request function of Node.js. In other words, no certificate is ever rejected.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-31597?: The xmlhttprequest-ssl package before 1.6.1 for Node.js disables SSL certificate validation by default, because rejectUnauthorized (when the property exists but is undefined) is considered to be false within the https.request function of Node.js. In other words, no certificate is ever rejected.
How severe is CVE-2021-31597?: CVE-2021-31597 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.4, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability low.
Is CVE-2021-31597 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (79th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-31597?: CVE-2021-31597 affects Xmlhttprequest-ssl Project Xmlhttprequest-ssl. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-31597?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2021-31597 published?: CVE-2021-31597 was published on 2021-04-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:xmlhttprequest-ssl_project:xmlhttprequest-ssl:*:*:*:*:*:node.js:*:*

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