How severe is CVE-2021-38978?

CVE-2021-38978 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-38978 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (54th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-38978?

CVE-2021-38978 primarily affects Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38978?

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

When was CVE-2021-38978 published?

CVE-2021-38978 was published on 2021-11-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-38978

CVE-2021-38978 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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-319.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (54th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-319
Affected product: Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager
Published: 2021-11-15
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by the failure to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques. IBM X-Force ID: 212783.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-38978?: IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 could allow a remote attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by the failure to properly enable HTTP Strict Transport Security. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information using man in the middle techniques. IBM X-Force ID: 212783.
How severe is CVE-2021-38978?: CVE-2021-38978 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-38978 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (54th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-38978?: CVE-2021-38978 primarily affects Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager. In total, 7 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-38978?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-38978 published?: CVE-2021-38978 was published on 2021-11-15 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (7)

cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_guardium_key_lifecycle_manager:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_guardium_key_lifecycle_manager:4.1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_guardium_key_lifecycle_manager:4.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_key_lifecycle_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_key_lifecycle_manager:4.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_key_lifecycle_manager:4.1.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:ibm:security_key_lifecycle_manager:4.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager

CVE-2023-25921 — High (CVSS 8.5): IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.1.1 allows the attacker to upload or transfer…
CVE-2023-25925 — High (CVSS 8.5): IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.1.1 could allow a remote authenticated attacker…
CVE-2021-38984 — High (CVSS 7.5): IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms that could…
CVE-2021-38983 — High (CVSS 7.5): IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 uses weaker than expected cryptographic algorithms that could…
CVE-2021-38979 — High (CVSS 7.5): IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 uses a one-way cryptographic hash against an input that…
CVE-2023-47706 — Medium (CVSS 6.6): IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager 4.3 could allow an authenticated user to upload files of a dangerous file…

All CVEs affecting Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager →

Other CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-4378 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, Use of Hard-coded Credentials vulnerability in Ataturk University…
CVE-2025-47419 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information vulnerability in Crestron Automate VX allows Sniffing Network…
CVE-2026-48902 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): The password and username reset features created plain http links for https connections if the "Force SSL" flag wasn't…
CVE-2025-34271 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Nagios Log Server versions prior to 2024R2.0.2 contain a vulnerability in the cluster manager component when…
CVE-2025-32880 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): An issue was discovered on COROS PACE 3 devices through 3.0808.0. It implements a function to connect the watch to a…
CVE-2025-26199 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): CloudClassroom-PHP-Project v1.0 is affected by an insecure credential transmission vulnerability. The application…

Browse all CWE-319 (Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) vulnerabilities →