CVE-2021-21432Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Secret disclosure via unchecked GitHub PAT provenance

Published Apr 9, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Improper authorization in Target Vela Server 0.7.0 through 0.7.4 allows remote authenticated users to obtain CI secrets. AuthenticateToken accepts any valid GitHub PAT without verifying that Vela's GitHub OAuth application created it, allowing that PAT to authorize Vela API calls. Exploitation requires repository activation, disclosure of the injected PAT from ~/.netrc through build logs, and Vela administrator access; permitted API endpoints can then return CI secrets.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.99%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper authorization in Target Vela Server 0.7.0 through 0.7.4 allows remote authenticated users to obtain CI secrets. AuthenticateToken accepts any valid GitHub PAT without verifying that Vela's GitHub OAuth application created it, allowing that PAT to authorize Vela API calls. Exploitation requires repository activation, disclosure of the injected PAT from ~/.netrc through build logs, and Vela administrator access; permitted API endpoints can then return CI secrets.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-21432
Published
Apr 9, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Target, Inc.
Product
Vela Server
Classifications
CWE-285, CWE-862, T1550.001, T1552.001
Attack vector
network
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 9, 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=>= 0.7.0, < 0.7.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Target, Inc. · Vela Serverversion=>= 0.7.0, < 0.7.5

Published CVSS scores

7.5GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
6.5NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-285Improper Authorization
CWE-862Missing Authorization
T1550.001Use Alternate Authentication Material: Application Access Token
T1552.001Unsecured Credentials: Credentials In Files

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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