CVE-2021-3979Network attack vector

Encrypted-disk disclosure and tampering via ignored key size

Published Aug 25, 2022 · Updated Nov 3, 2025

Cryptographic key handling in Red Hat Ceph Storage allows attackers to read or alter data on encrypted disks through weaker keys. The ceph-volume encryption code did not pass the configured osd_dmcrypt_key_size to cryptsetup, so cryptsetup always applied its default instead of the intended key length. The condition is limited to dm-crypt-encrypted OSD volumes whose keys were created by affected code.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Cryptographic key handling in Red Hat Ceph Storage allows attackers to read or alter data on encrypted disks through weaker keys. The ceph-volume encryption code did not pass the configured osd_dmcrypt_key_size to cryptsetup, so cryptsetup always applied its default instead of the intended key length. The condition is limited to dm-crypt-encrypted OSD volumes whose keys were created by affected code.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-3979
Published
Aug 25, 2022
Updated
Nov 3, 2025
Vendor
389 Directory Server
Product
Red Hat Ceph Storage
Classifications
CWE-327
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 25, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 3, 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?

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  1. Affected versionversion=Not-Known

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

389 Directory Server · Red Hat Ceph Storageversion=Not-Known

Published CVSS scores

6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-327Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm

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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