How severe is CVE-2021-42135?

CVE-2021-42135 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-42135 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-42135?

CVE-2021-42135 primarily affects Hashicorp Vault. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-42135?

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-2021-42135 published?

CVE-2021-42135 was published on 2021-10-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-42135

CVE-2021-42135 is a high-severity vulnerability in Hashicorp Vault with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. 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-269.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 8.1)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (51st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Hashicorp Vault
Published: 2021-10-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.x through 1.8.4 may have an unexpected interaction between glob-related policies and the Google Cloud secrets engine. Users may, in some situations, have more privileges than intended, e.g., a user with read permission for the /gcp/roleset/* path may be able to issue Google Cloud service account credentials.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-42135?: HashiCorp Vault and Vault Enterprise 1.8.x through 1.8.4 may have an unexpected interaction between glob-related policies and the Google Cloud secrets engine. Users may, in some situations, have more privileges than intended, e.g., a user with read permission for the /gcp/roleset/* path may be able to issue Google Cloud service account credentials.
How severe is CVE-2021-42135?: CVE-2021-42135 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-42135 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (51st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-42135?: CVE-2021-42135 primarily affects Hashicorp Vault. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-42135?: 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-2021-42135 published?: CVE-2021-42135 was published on 2021-10-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://discuss.hashicorp.com/t/hcsec-2021-28-vaults-google-cloud-secrets-engine-policies-with-globs-may-provide-additional-privileges-in-vault-1-8-0-onwards/

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:hashicorp:vault:*:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*

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