How severe is CVE-2021-44533?

CVE-2021-44533 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-44533 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-44533?

CVE-2021-44533 primarily affects Nodejs Node.js. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-44533?

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

When was CVE-2021-44533 published?

CVE-2021-44533 was published on 2022-02-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-44533

Q: What is CVE-2021-44533?

Node.js < 12.22.9, < 14.18.3, < 16.13.2, and < 17.3.1 did not handle multi-value Relative Distinguished Names correctly. Attackers could craft certificate subjects containing a single-value Relative Distinguished Name that would be interpreted as a multi-value Relative Distinguished Name, for example, in order to inject a Common Name that would allow bypassing the certificate subject verification.Affected versions of Node.js that do not accept multi-value Relative Distinguished Names and are thus not vulnerable to such attacks themselves. However, third-party code that uses node's ambiguous presentation of certificate subjects may be vulnerable.

CVE-2021-44533 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Nodejs Node.js with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3. 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-295.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.3)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 9% (95th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-295
Affected product: Nodejs Node.js
Published: 2022-02-24
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Node.js < 12.22.9, < 14.18.3, < 16.13.2, and < 17.3.1 did not handle multi-value Relative Distinguished Names correctly. Attackers could craft certificate subjects containing a single-value Relative Distinguished Name that would be interpreted as a multi-value Relative Distinguished Name, for example, in order to inject a Common Name that would allow bypassing the certificate subject verification.Affected versions of Node.js that do not accept multi-value Relative Distinguished Names and are thus not vulnerable to such attacks themselves. However, third-party code that uses node's ambiguous presentation of certificate subjects may be vulnerable.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-44533?: Node.js < 12.22.9, < 14.18.3, < 16.13.2, and < 17.3.1 did not handle multi-value Relative Distinguished Names correctly. Attackers could craft certificate subjects containing a single-value Relative Distinguished Name that would be interpreted as a multi-value Relative Distinguished Name, for example, in order to inject a Common Name that would allow bypassing the certificate subject verification.Affected versions of Node.js that do not accept multi-value Relative Distinguished Names and are thus not vulnerable to such attacks themselves. However, third-party code that uses node's ambiguous presentation of certificate subjects may be vulnerable.
How severe is CVE-2021-44533?: CVE-2021-44533 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.3, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity low, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-44533 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 9% (95th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-44533?: CVE-2021-44533 primarily affects Nodejs Node.js. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-44533?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-44533 published?: CVE-2021-44533 was published on 2022-02-24 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (13)

cpe:2.3:a:nodejs:node.js:*:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:graalvm:20.3.5:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:graalvm:21.3.1:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:graalvm:22.0.0.2:*:*:*:enterprise:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_cluster:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_cluster:8.0.29:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_connectors:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_enterprise_monitor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:mysql_workbench:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools:8.58:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:oracle:peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools:8.59:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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