Summary
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor in Products.PluggableAuthService ZODBRoleManager
Workarounds
Is there a way for users to fix or remediate the vulnerability without upgrading?
There is no workaround. Users are encouraged to upgrade.
References
Are there any links users can visit to find out more?
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Open an issue in the Products.PluggableAuthService issue tracker
- Email us at [email protected]
Impact
What kind of vulnerability is it? Who is impacted?
Information disclosure vulnerability - everyone can list the names of roles defined in the ZODB Role Manager plugin if the site uses this plugin.
CVE-2021-21336 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.6.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Has the problem been patched? What versions should users upgrade to?
The problem has been fixed in version 2.6.0. Depending on how you have installed Products.PluggableAuthService, you should change the buildout version pin to 2.6.0 and re-run the buildout, or if you used pip simply do pip install "Products.PluggableAuthService>=2.6.0"
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2021-21336? CVE-2021-21336 is a high-severity security vulnerability in Products.PluggableAuthService (pip), affecting versions < 2.6.0. It is fixed in 2.6.0.
- How severe is CVE-2021-21336? CVE-2021-21336 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of Products.PluggableAuthService are affected by CVE-2021-21336? Products.PluggableAuthService (pip) versions < 2.6.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2021-21336? Yes. CVE-2021-21336 is fixed in 2.6.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2021-21336 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-21336 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2021-21336 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2021-21336? Upgrade
Products.PluggableAuthServiceto 2.6.0 or later.