CVE-2021-29472
Specifically crafted URL values allow code to be executed in the HgDriver if hg/Mercurial is installed on the system.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (4.75%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Composer is a dependency manager for PHP. URLs for Mercurial repositories in the root composer.json and package source download URLs are not sanitized correctly. Specifically crafted URL values allow code to be executed in the HgDriver if hg/Mercurial is installed on the system. The impact to Composer users directly is limited as the composer.json file is typically under their own control and source download URLs can only be supplied by third party Composer repositories they explicitly trust to download and execute source code from, e.g. Composer plugins. The main impact is to services passing user input to Composer, including Packagist.org and Private Packagist. This allowed users to trigger remote code execution. The vulnerability has been patched on Packagist.org and Private Packagist within 12h of receiving the initial vulnerability report and based on a review of logs, to the best of our knowledge, was not abused by anyone. Other services/tools using VcsRepository/VcsDriver or derivatives may also be vulnerable and should upgrade their composer/composer dependency immediately. Versions 1.10.22 and 2.0.13 include patches for this issue.
- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 4.75% probability · 92th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-88, CWE-94
- Affected
- getcomposer/composer · debian/debian linux · fedoraproject/fedora
- Source
- security-advisories@github.com
EPSS 4.8% since 27 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://blog.sonarsource.com/php-supply-chain-attack-on-composer/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://getcomposer.org/Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/composer/composer/security/advisories/GHSA-h5h8-pc6h-jvvxThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00009.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FAQUAMGO4Q4BLNZ2OH4CXQD7UK4IO2GE/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KN3DMFH42BJW45VT6FYF2RXKC26D6VC2/
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4907Third Party Advisory
- https://blog.sonarsource.com/php-supply-chain-attack-on-composer/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- https://getcomposer.org/Vendor Advisory
- https://github.com/composer/composer/security/advisories/GHSA-h5h8-pc6h-jvvxThird Party Advisory
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/05/msg00009.htmlMailing List, Third Party Advisory
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/FAQUAMGO4Q4BLNZ2OH4CXQD7UK4IO2GE/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/KN3DMFH42BJW45VT6FYF2RXKC26D6VC2/
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4907Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.