CVE-2021-38948Network attack vector

Sensitive data disclosure or memory exhaustion via XXE

Published Nov 2, 2021 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

XXE in IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 allows remote authenticated users to read sensitive data or exhaust memory via XML input. IBM has not disclosed the affected XML-processing component or how its parser resolves attacker-controlled external entities. Access to an XML-processing interface is required; successful exploitation reads server-accessible data or interrupts service by consuming memory.

CVSS severity7.1
High
EPSS probability2.04%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

XXE in IBM InfoSphere Information Server 11.7 allows remote authenticated users to read sensitive data or exhaust memory via XML input. IBM has not disclosed the affected XML-processing component or how its parser resolves attacker-controlled external entities. Access to an XML-processing interface is required; successful exploitation reads server-accessible data or interrupts service by consuming memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-38948
Published
Nov 2, 2021
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
IBM
Product
InfoSphere Information Server
Classifications
CWE-91
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 2, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=11.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · InfoSphere Information Serverversion=11.7

Published CVSS scores

7.1IBMCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
9.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-91XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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