How severe is CVE-2021-36161?

CVE-2021-36161 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, 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 high.

Is CVE-2021-36161 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-36161?

CVE-2021-36161 affects Apache Dubbo. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-36161?

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-2021-36161 published?

CVE-2021-36161 was published on 2021-09-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-36161

CVE-2021-36161 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Apache Dubbo with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. 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-134.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (83rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-134
Affected product: Apache Dubbo
Published: 2021-09-09
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Some component in Dubbo will try to print the formated string of the input arguments, which will possibly cause RCE for a maliciously customized bean with special toString method. In the latest version, we fix the toString call in timeout, cache and some other places. Fixed in Apache Dubbo 2.7.13

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-36161?: Some component in Dubbo will try to print the formated string of the input arguments, which will possibly cause RCE for a maliciously customized bean with special toString method. In the latest version, we fix the toString call in timeout, cache and some other places. Fixed in Apache Dubbo 2.7.13
How severe is CVE-2021-36161?: CVE-2021-36161 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, 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 high.
Is CVE-2021-36161 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (83rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-36161?: CVE-2021-36161 affects Apache Dubbo. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-36161?: 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-2021-36161 published?: CVE-2021-36161 was published on 2021-09-09 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r40212261fd5d638074b65f22ac73eebe93ace310c79d4cfcca4863da%40%3Cdev.dubbo.apache.org%3E

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:dubbo:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-134 vulnerabilities

CVE-2012-1851 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in the Print Spooler service in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2,…
CVE-2012-0242 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in Advantech/BroadWin WebAccess before 7.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary…
CVE-2011-2475 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in ECTrace.dll in the iMailGateway service in the Internet Mail Gateway in OneBridge Server…
CVE-2011-1568 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in the logText function in shmemmgr9.dll in IGSSdataServer.exe 9.00.00.11074, and…
CVE-2010-4235 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in RealNetworks Helix Server 12.x, 13.x, and 14.x before 14.2, and Helix Mobile Server…
CVE-2011-0270 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Format string vulnerability in nnmRptConfig.exe in HP OpenView Network Node Manager (OV NNM) 7.51 and 7.53 allows…

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