CVE-2021-20271
This flaw allows an attacker who can convince a victim to install a seemingly verifiable package, whose signature header was modified, to cause RPM database corruption and execute code.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.77%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
A flaw was found in RPM's signature check functionality when reading a package file. This flaw allows an attacker who can convince a victim to install a seemingly verifiable package, whose signature header was modified, to cause RPM database corruption and execute code. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data integrity, confidentiality, and system availability.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.0 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.77% probability · 55th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-345
- Affected
- rpm/rpm · redhat/enterprise linux · fedoraproject/fedora · starwindsoftware/starwind virtual san
- Source
- secalert@redhat.com
EPSS 0.8% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1934125Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/rpm-software-management/rpm/commit/d6a86b5e69e46cc283b1e06c92343319beb42e21Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TMGXO3W6DHPO62GJ4VVF5DEUX5DRUR5K/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VHRPNBCRPDJHHQE3MBPSZK4H7X2IM7AC/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YILPBTPSBRYL4POBI3F4YUSVPSOQNJBY/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-43Third Party Advisory
- https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220805-0002/Third Party Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1934125Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/rpm-software-management/rpm/commit/d6a86b5e69e46cc283b1e06c92343319beb42e21Patch, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TMGXO3W6DHPO62GJ4VVF5DEUX5DRUR5K/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VHRPNBCRPDJHHQE3MBPSZK4H7X2IM7AC/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YILPBTPSBRYL4POBI3F4YUSVPSOQNJBY/
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202107-43Third Party Advisory
- https://www.starwindsoftware.com/security/sw-20220805-0002/Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.