CVE-2021-21267Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Application hang via email regex backtracking

Published Mar 19, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Regular expression denial of service in Schema-Inspector before 2.0.0 allows remote attackers to hang applications via crafted email input. The built-in email validator applies an ambiguous expression whose overlapping alternatives trigger exponential backtracking on long dotted addresses. Exposure requires a consuming application or browser page to pass attacker-controlled strings to the email pattern; other validation modes are unaffected, while a match can monopolize execution and freeze the process or page.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability2.09%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Regular expression denial of service in Schema-Inspector before 2.0.0 allows remote attackers to hang applications via crafted email input. The built-in email validator applies an ambiguous expression whose overlapping alternatives trigger exponential backtracking on long dotted addresses. Exposure requires a consuming application or browser page to pass attacker-controlled strings to the email pattern; other validation modes are unaffected, while a match can monopolize execution and freeze the process or page.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-21267
Published
Mar 19, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Schema-Inspector
Product
Schema-Inspector
Classifications
CWE-20, CWE-400, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 19, 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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2.0.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Schema-Inspector · Schema-Inspectorversion=< 2.0.0

Published CVSS scores

5.0NISTAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
7.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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.

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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-20Improper Input Validation
CWE-400Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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