How severe is CVE-2021-38959?

CVE-2021-38959 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-38959 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-38959?

CVE-2021-38959 primarily affects Ibm Spss Statistics. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38959?

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

When was CVE-2021-38959 published?

CVE-2021-38959 was published on 2021-11-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-38959

CVE-2021-38959 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Spss Statistics with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 2.1
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (12th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Ibm Spss Statistics
Published: 2021-11-17
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 24.0, 25.0, 26.0, 27.0, 27.0.1, and 28.0 could allow a local user to cause a denial of service by writing arbitrary files to admin protected directories on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 212046.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-38959?: IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows 24.0, 25.0, 26.0, 27.0, 27.0.1, and 28.0 could allow a local user to cause a denial of service by writing arbitrary files to admin protected directories on the system. IBM X-Force ID: 212046.
How severe is CVE-2021-38959?: CVE-2021-38959 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-38959 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (12th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-38959?: CVE-2021-38959 primarily affects Ibm Spss Statistics. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-38959?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-38959 published?: CVE-2021-38959 was published on 2021-11-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spss_statistics:24.0.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spss_statistics:25.0.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spss_statistics:26.0.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spss_statistics:27.0.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spss_statistics:27.0.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:spss_statistics:28.0.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Ibm Spss Statistics

CVE-2015-7489 — High (CVSS 7.8): IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0.0.2 before IF10 and 23.0.0.2 before IF7 uses weak permissions (Everyone: Write) for Python…
CVE-2015-0140 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): An unspecified ActiveX control in IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 through FP1 on 32-bit platforms allows remote attackers to…
CVE-2015-8530 — Medium (CVSS 6.5): Stack-based buffer overflow in the Initialize function in an ActiveX control in IBM SPSS Statistics 19 and 20 before…
CVE-2022-43855 — Medium (CVSS 6.2): IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0, 27.0.1, and 28.0 IO Module could allow a local user to create multiple files that could…
CVE-2024-31896 — Medium (CVSS 5.9): IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0, 27.0.1, 28.0.1, and 29.0.2 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms that could…

All CVEs affecting Ibm Spss Statistics →

Other CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-42369 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): GV-VMS V20 is a Video Monitoring Software used to gather the feeds of many surveillance cameras and manage other…
CVE-2026-4746 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability in timeplus-io proton (base/poco/Foundation/src‎ modules). This vulnerability is…
CVE-2025-43300 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking. This issue is fixed in iOS 15.8.5 and iPadOS…
CVE-2025-24201 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved checks to prevent unauthorized actions. This issue is fixed in…
CVE-2024-42479 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): llama.cpp provides LLM inference in C/C++. The unsafe `data` pointer member in the `rpc_tensor` structure can cause…
CVE-2024-39791 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Stack-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities affecting Vonets industrial wifi bridge relays and wifi bridge…

Browse all CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write) vulnerabilities →