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CVE-2021-32777


Envoy is an open source L7 proxy and communication bus designed for large modern service oriented architectures. In affected versions when ext-authz extension is sending request headers to the external authorization service it must merge multiple value headers according to the HTTP spec. However, only the last header value is sent. This may allow specifically crafted requests to bypass authorization. Attackers may be able to escalate privileges when using ext-authz extension or back end service that uses multiple value headers for authorization. A specifically constructed request may be delivered by an untrusted downstream peer in the presence of ext-authz extension. Envoy versions 1.19.1, 1.18.4, 1.17.4, 1.16.5 contain fixes to the ext-authz extension to correctly merge multiple request header values, when sending request for authorization.


Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.6, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network with relatively low complexity without requiring user interaction and does not require pre-existing privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from envoyproxy 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

2021-08-24T21:15:06.970

Last Modified

2024-11-21T06:07:43.210

Status

Modified

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.1: 8.6 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

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

  • Access Vector: NETWORK
  • Access Complexity: LOW
  • Authentication: NONE
  • Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
  • Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
  • Availability Impact: PARTIAL
Exploitability Score

10.0

Impact Score

6.4

Weaknesses
  • Type: Secondary
    CWE-551
    CWE-863
  • Type: Primary
    CWE-863

Affected Vendors & Products
Type Vendor Product Version/Range Vulnerable?
Application envoyproxy envoy < 1.16.5 Yes
Application envoyproxy envoy < 1.17.4 Yes
Application envoyproxy envoy < 1.18.4 Yes
Application envoyproxy envoy 1.19.0 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 envoyproxy'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.