CVE-2021-41799Network attack vector

Service interruption via backlinks full table scan

Published Oct 11, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Denial of service in MediaWiki before 1.36.2 allows remote attackers to exhaust server resources through the backlinks API. ApiQueryBacklinks builds action=query&list=backlinks database queries without forcing an indexed join order, allowing a request to trigger a full table scan and lengthy processing. No authentication or user interaction is required; the bounded impact is resource consumption and service interruption, with no reported data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability1.70%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in MediaWiki before 1.36.2 allows remote attackers to exhaust server resources through the backlinks API. ApiQueryBacklinks builds action=query&list=backlinks database queries without forcing an indexed join order, allowing a request to trigger a full table scan and lengthy processing. No authentication or user interaction is required; the bounded impact is resource consumption and service interruption, with no reported data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-41799
Published
Oct 11, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-770, T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 11, 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 privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.

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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-770Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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