CVE-2021-32032Network attack vector

Service interruption via premature crypto context cleanup

Published May 21, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Memory leak in Trusted Firmware-M 1.3.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to exhaust the Crypto service via failed multipart operations. The failing update or finish path clears tfm_crypto_operation_s before the underlying library's abort() runs, erasing the context and allocation pointers needed to release resources. All configurations are affected, but exhaustion requires a library that dynamically allocates operation memory; repeated failures can disable Crypto and dependent services.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.77%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in Trusted Firmware-M 1.3.0 and earlier allows remote attackers to exhaust the Crypto service via failed multipart operations. The failing update or finish path clears tfm_crypto_operation_s before the underlying library's abort() runs, erasing the context and allocation pointers needed to release resources. All configurations are affected, but exhaustion requires a library that dynamically allocates operation memory; repeated failures can disable Crypto and dependent services.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-32032
Published
May 21, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 21, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.0NIST NVDAV: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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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