CVE-2021-38435Network attack vector

Application crash via corrupted DDS data submessage

Published May 5, 2022 · Updated Apr 16, 2025

Buffer overflow in RTI Connext DDS Professional and Connext DDS Secure 4.2x through 6.1.0 allows remote authenticated users to crash applications. The data(p) receive path miscalculates the allocation size for a corrupted submessage, leaving a buffer too small for subsequent processing. Access to a Connext application's DDS network is required, and successful exploitation interrupts that application.

CVSS severity6.6
Medium
EPSS probability1.42%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Buffer overflow in RTI Connext DDS Professional and Connext DDS Secure 4.2x through 6.1.0 allows remote authenticated users to crash applications. The data(p) receive path miscalculates the allocation size for a corrupted submessage, leaving a buffer too small for subsequent processing. Access to a Connext application's DDS network is required, and successful exploitation interrupts that application.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-38435
Published
May 5, 2022
Updated
Apr 16, 2025
Vendor
Real-Time Innovations
Product
RTI Connext DDS Professional
Classifications
CWE-125, CWE-131, T1499
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 5, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 16, 2025Record 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=4.2x <=6.1.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Real-Time Innovations · RTI Connext DDS Professionalversion=4.2x <=6.1.0
Real-Time Innovations · RTI Connext DDS Secureversion=4.2x <=6.1.0

Published CVSS scores

9.8National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.6CISA ICS-CERTCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
7.6Real-Time InnovationsCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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.

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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-125Out-of-bounds Read
CWE-131Incorrect Calculation of Buffer Size
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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