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CVE-2021-20327


A specific version of the Node.js mongodb-client-encryption module does not perform correct validation of the KMS server’s certificate. This vulnerability in combination with a privileged network position active MITM attack could result in interception of traffic between the Node.js driver and the KMS service rendering client-side field level encryption (CSFLE) ineffective. This issue was discovered during internal testing and affects mongodb-client-encryption module version 1.2.0, which was available from 2021-Jan-29 and deprecated in the NPM Registry on 2021-Feb-04. This vulnerability does not impact driver traffic payloads with CSFLE-supported key services from applications residing inside the AWS, GCP, and Azure nework fabrics due to compensating controls in these environments. This issue does not impact driver workloads that don’t use Field Level Encryption. This issue affect MongoDB Node.js Driver mongodb-client-encryption module version 1.2.0


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a MEDIUM severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.4, indicating it requires adjacent network access but requires specific conditions to be met though user interaction is required and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from mongodb organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

Reported in 2021, this vulnerability emerged during an era marked by increased sophistication in supply chain attacks, cloud infrastructure vulnerabilities, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) security challenges. Security practices during this period emphasized zero-trust architectures, container security, and API protection.


Published

2021-02-25T17:15:28.160

Last Modified

2026-09-17T13:57:49.890

Status

Analyzed

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 6.4 (MEDIUM)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:A/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

  • Access Vector: ADJACENT_NETWORK
  • Access Complexity: MEDIUM
  • Authentication: NONE
  • Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
  • Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
  • Availability Impact: NONE
Exploitability Score

5.5

Impact Score

4.9

Weaknesses
  • Type: Secondary
    CWE-295
  • Type: Primary
    CWE-295

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Application mongodb mongodb_client_encryption 1.2.0 Yes

References

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For mongodb's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.