# CVE-2021-21441: XSS in the ticket overview screens

> Attackers can execute scripts via crafted emails in ticket overviews, potentially stealing data or taking over accounts without user interaction.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 16 Jun 2021
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-21441, GHSA-jpp9-9j52-jc5j, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-21441

## What is CVE-2021-21441?

CVE-2021-21441 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Otrs Otrs, published on 16 Jun 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

There is a XSS vulnerability in the ticket overview screens. It's possible to collect various information by having an e-mail shown in the overview screen. Attack can be performed by sending specially crafted e-mail to the system and it doesn't require any user intraction. This issue affects: OTRS AG ((OTRS)) Community Edition 6.0.x version 6.0.1 and later versions. OTRS AG OTRS 7.0.x version 7.0.26 and prior versions.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-21441?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Otrs Otrs.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-21441?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-21441 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-21441 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Otrs Otrs

- [CVE-2026-48188](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-48188/): SQL Injection via MySQL Quote Method (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2013-4717](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4717/): SQL injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2017-14635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-14635/): Code injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-5422](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5422/): SSL Certificates are not checked for E-Mail Handling (high 8.7)
- [CVE-2023-6254](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6254/): Password is send back to client (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-21441 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-21441 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Otrs Otrs, published on 16 Jun 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-21441 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Otrs Otrs. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21441/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21441/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-21441
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21441
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-21441

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-21441/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.