Summary
Session fixation in express-openid-connect
Overview
Versions 2.3.0 up to and including 2.5.1 do not regenerate the session id and session cookie when user logs in. This behavior opens up the application to various session fixation vulnerabilities.
Am I affected?
You are affected by this vulnerability if you are using express-openid-connect version 2.3.0 up to and including 2.5.1 and use a custom session store.
How to fix that?
Upgrade to version >= 2.5.2.
Will this update impact my users?
The fix provided in patch will not affect your users.
Impact
CVE-2021-41246 has a CVSS score of 4.6 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (2.5.2); 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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See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2021-41246? CVE-2021-41246 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in express-openid-connect (npm), affecting versions >= 2.3.0, < 2.5.2. It is fixed in 2.5.2.
- How severe is CVE-2021-41246? CVE-2021-41246 has a CVSS score of 4.6 (Medium). 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 express-openid-connect are affected by CVE-2021-41246? express-openid-connect (npm) versions >= 2.3.0, < 2.5.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2021-41246? Yes. CVE-2021-41246 is fixed in 2.5.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2021-41246 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-41246 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-2021-41246 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-2021-41246? Upgrade
express-openid-connectto 2.5.2 or later.