CVE-2021-40849Network attack vector

Account takeover via unterminated web-service token session

Published Nov 3, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Insufficient session expiration in Mahara before 20.04.5, 20.10.3, 21.04.2, and 21.10.0 allows remote attackers to access token-owner accounts. A failed token-based web-service call leaves the token owner’s authenticated session active instead of terminating it. A crafted URL must contain a valid web-services token and omit the requested function; opening the site afterward exposes the owner’s information and privileges.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability1.35%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insufficient session expiration in Mahara before 20.04.5, 20.10.3, 21.04.2, and 21.10.0 allows remote attackers to access token-owner accounts. A failed token-based web-service call leaves the token owner’s authenticated session active instead of terminating it. A crafted URL must contain a valid web-services token and omit the requested function; opening the site afterward exposes the owner’s information and privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-40849
Published
Nov 3, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-613, T1078
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 3, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 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 privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.5NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/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
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-613Insufficient Session Expiration
T1078Valid Accounts

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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