# CVE-2021-2438: Denial of service in Database - Enterprise Edition

> A low-privileged attacker can cause a partial denial of service in the Java VM component of Oracle Database Server via network access.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Jul 2021
- **Updated:** 25 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vmp7-4vvc-hc9j

## What is CVE-2021-2438?

CVE-2021-2438 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Oracle Corporation Database - Enterprise Edition, published on 20 Jul 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Vulnerability in the Java VM component of Oracle Database Server. Supported versions that are affected are 12.1.0.2, 12.2.0.1 and 19c. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows low privileged attacker having Create Procedure privilege with network access via Oracle Net to compromise Java VM. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in unauthorized ability to cause a partial denial of service (partial DOS) of Java VM. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 4.3 (Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L).

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-2438?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Oracle Java Virtual Machine.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-2438?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-2438 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-2438 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-2438 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Oracle Corporation Database - Enterprise Edition

- [CVE-2025-50069](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-50069/): Privilege escalation in Oracle Database Server (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2026-35229](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-35229/): Information disclosure in Oracle Database Server (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2025-30736](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-30736/): Missing authorization in Oracle Database Server (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2021-35619](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-35619/): Vulnerability in the Java VM component of Oracle Database Server. (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2025-61881](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-61881/): Missing authorization in Oracle Database Server (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-2438 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-2438 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Oracle Corporation Database - Enterprise Edition, published on 20 Jul 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-2438 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Oracle Corporation Database - Enterprise Edition. 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-2021-2438/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-2438/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-2438
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-2438
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-2438

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-2438/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.