How severe is CVE-2021-38185?

CVE-2021-38185 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-38185 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-38185?

CVE-2021-38185 affects Gnu Cpio. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38185?

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-2021-38185 published?

CVE-2021-38185 was published on 2021-08-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-38185

CVE-2021-38185 is a high-severity vulnerability in Gnu Cpio with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. 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-190.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
CVSS v2: 6.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-190
Affected product: Gnu Cpio
Published: 2021-08-08
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

GNU cpio through 2.13 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted pattern file, because of a dstring.c ds_fgetstr integer overflow that triggers an out-of-bounds heap write. NOTE: it is unclear whether there are common cases where the pattern file, associated with the -E option, is untrusted data.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-38185?: GNU cpio through 2.13 allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted pattern file, because of a dstring.c ds_fgetstr integer overflow that triggers an out-of-bounds heap write. NOTE: it is unclear whether there are common cases where the pattern file, associated with the -E option, is untrusted data.
How severe is CVE-2021-38185?: CVE-2021-38185 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-38185 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-38185?: CVE-2021-38185 affects Gnu Cpio. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-38185?: 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-2021-38185 published?: CVE-2021-38185 was published on 2021-08-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:cpio:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Gnu Cpio

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CVE-2023-7216 — Medium (CVSS 5.3): A path traversal vulnerability was found in the CPIO utility. This issue could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker…
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Other CWE-190 (Integer Overflow or Wraparound) vulnerabilities

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