CVE-2021-43836 | PHP file inclusion in the Sulu admin panel

Sulu is an open-source PHP content management system based on the Symfony framework. In affected versions an attacker can read arbitrary local files via a PHP file include. In a default configuration this also leads to remote code execution. The problem is patched with the Versions 1.6.44, 2.2.18, 2.3.8, 2.4.0. For users unable to upgrade overwrite the service `sulu_route.generator.expression_token_provider` and wrap the translator before passing it to the expression language.

Published: 2021-12-15 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2021-43836 is rated High Risk (65.6/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 4.29%). 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-2021-43836

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 2025-12-28 3.66% 4.29% +0.64%
2 2025-12-27 4.29% 3.66% -0.64%
3 2025-10-28 — 4.29% —

Full EPSS history (13 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2021-43836

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
8.5 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H 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:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
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:C)
Breaking this can reach past the original component and bite other resources—bigger blast radius.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.8 6.0 [email protected]
8.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 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:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.8 5.9 [email protected]
6.5 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P 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:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 8.0 6.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2021-43836

GitHub Security Advisory for CVE-2021-43836

GHSA-vx6j-pjrh-vgjh · Severity: high · Ecosystem: composer — PHP file inclusion in the Sulu admin panel

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-43836

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
sulu sulu < 1.6.44 cpe:2.3:a:sulu:sulu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
sulu sulu >= 2.0.0, < 2.2.18 cpe:2.3:a:sulu:sulu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
sulu sulu >= 2.3.0, < 2.3.8 cpe:2.3:a:sulu:sulu:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
sulu sulu 2.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:sulu:sulu:2.4.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2021-43836

cvelogic Threat Intelligence