CVE-2021-41115Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Service interruption via backtracking linkifier patterns

Published Oct 7, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Regular expression denial of service in Zulip before 4.7 allows remote authenticated users to interrupt service through linkifiers. The linkifier validator uses a backtracking regular expression to inspect administrator-supplied patterns but accepts arbitrary expressions inside named groups, so both validation and later message matching can consume excessive CPU. Organization-administrator access is required; a malicious pattern or a message that exercises it can deny service without exposing or modifying data.

CVSS severity6.5
Medium
EPSS probability1.74%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Regular expression denial of service in Zulip before 4.7 allows remote authenticated users to interrupt service through linkifiers. The linkifier validator uses a backtracking regular expression to inspect administrator-supplied patterns but accepts arbitrary expressions inside named groups, so both validation and later message matching can consume excessive CPU. Organization-administrator access is required; a malicious pattern or a message that exercises it can deny service without exposing or modifying data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-41115
Published
Oct 7, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Zulip
Product
Zulip
Classifications
CWE-1333, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 7, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 4.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Zulip · Zulipversion=< 4.7

Published CVSS scores

4.0NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P
4.3GitHub Security AdvisoryCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
6.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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.

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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1333Inefficient Regular Expression Complexity
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

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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