CVE-2021-36749 | Apache Druid: The HTTP inputSource allows authenticated users to read data from other sources than intended (incomplete fix of CVE-2021-26920)

In the Druid ingestion system, the InputSource is used for reading data from a certain data source. However, the HTTP InputSource allows authenticated users to read data from other sources than intended, such as the local file system, with the privileges of the Druid server process. This is not an elevation of privilege when users access Druid directly, since Druid also provides the Local InputSource, which allows the same level of access. But it is problematic when users interact with Druid indirectly through an application that allows users to specify the HTTP InputSource, but not the Local InputSource. In this case, users could bypass the application-level restriction by passing a file URL to the HTTP InputSource. This issue was previously mentioned as being fixed in 0.21.0 as per CVE-2021-26920 but was not fixed in 0.21.0 or 0.21.1.

Published: 2021-09-24 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2021-36749 is rated Moderate Risk (61/100): CVSS Medium severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 93.84%, 100th percentile). Core evidence: EPSS ranks this CVE among the most likely to be exploited in the near term. Mandatory action: High exploitation likelihood—assess exposure and prioritize remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2021-36749

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2025-12-10 93.74% 93.84% +0.10%
2 2025-11-21 93.09% 93.74% +0.65%
3 2025-11-18 93.09%

Full EPSS history (50 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2021-36749

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
6.5 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
2.8 3.6 [email protected]
4.0 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:S)
A single authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:N)
No availability impact.
8.0 2.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2021-36749

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2021-36749

GHSA-9p5g-vg43-mj5r · Severity: medium · Ecosystem: maven — Druid ingestion system Authenticated users can read data from other sources than intended

OS Trackers for CVE-2021-36749

vendor priority summary link
redhat medium https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-36749

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-36749

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
apache druid < 0.22.0 cpe:2.3:a:apache:druid:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2021-36749

cvelogic Threat Intelligence