CVE-2021-21257Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Service crash via unvalidated RPL address pointer

Published Jun 18, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Out-of-bounds write in Contiki-NG before 4.6 allows remote attackers to crash an RPL node via a crafted source-routing packet. In RPL-Classic and RPL-Lite, rpl_ext_header_srh_update derives addr_ptr from an unvalidated CMPR field and passes it to memcpy as the destination. The attacker must inject a source-routing packet into the network stack; the demonstrated consequence is a segmentation fault.

CVSS severity8.2
High
EPSS probability1.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Out-of-bounds write in Contiki-NG before 4.6 allows remote attackers to crash an RPL node via a crafted source-routing packet. In RPL-Classic and RPL-Lite, rpl_ext_header_srh_update derives addr_ptr from an unvalidated CMPR field and passes it to memcpy as the destination. The attacker must inject a source-routing packet into the network stack; the demonstrated consequence is a segmentation fault.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-21257
Published
Jun 18, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Contiki-NG
Product
Contiki-NG
Classifications
CWE-787, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 18, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 4.6

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Contiki-NG · Contiki-NGversion=< 4.6

Published CVSS scores

8.2GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
7.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.0NISTAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo