What is CVE-2021-29451?

CVE-2021-29451 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher (maven), affecting versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.2.1. It is fixed in 5.2.1.

How severe is CVE-2021-29451?

CVE-2021-29451 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). 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 packages are affected by CVE-2021-29451?

com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher (maven) versions >= 5.0.0, = 5.0.0, < 5.2.1.

Is there a fix for CVE-2021-29451?

Yes. CVE-2021-29451 is fixed in 5.2.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2021-29451 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-29451 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2021-29451 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-2021-29451?

Upgrade: com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher to 5.2.1 or later, com.manydesigns:portofino-core to 5.2.1 or later.

CVE-2021-29451

Q: How severe is CVE-2021-29451?

CVE-2021-29451 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). 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.

Q: Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-29451?

com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher (maven) versions >= 5.0.0, = 5.0.0, < 5.2.1.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2021-29451?

Yes. CVE-2021-29451 is fixed in 5.2.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2021-29451 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-29451 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2021-29451 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2021-29451?

Upgrade: com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher to 5.2.1 or later, com.manydesigns:portofino-core to 5.2.1 or later.

Summary

Missing validation of JWT signature in ManyDesigns/Portofino

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Open an issue in https://github.com/ManyDesigns/Portofino

Impact

Portofino is an open source web development framework. Portofino before version 5.2.1 did not properly verify the signature of JSON Web Tokens.
This allows forging a valid JWT.

CVE-2021-29451 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (5.2.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher (>= 5.0.0, < 5.2.1) com.manydesigns:portofino-core (>= 5.0.0, < 5.2.1)

Security releases

com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher → 5.2.1 (maven) com.manydesigns:portofino-core → 5.2.1 (maven)

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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Remediation advice

The issue will be patched in the upcoming 5.2.1 release.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-29451? CVE-2021-29451 is a critical-severity security vulnerability in com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher (maven), affecting versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.2.1. It is fixed in 5.2.1.
How severe is CVE-2021-29451? CVE-2021-29451 has a CVSS score of 9.1 (Critical). 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 packages are affected by CVE-2021-29451?
- com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher (maven) (versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.2.1)
- com.manydesigns:portofino-core (maven) (versions >= 5.0.0, < 5.2.1)
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-29451? Yes. CVE-2021-29451 is fixed in 5.2.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2021-29451 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-29451 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-2021-29451 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-2021-29451?
- Upgrade com.manydesigns:portofino-dispatcher to 5.2.1 or later
- Upgrade com.manydesigns:portofino-core to 5.2.1 or later