# CVE-2021-26921: Auth bypass in n/a

> Disabled user accounts in Argo CD retain valid session tokens, allowing unauthorized access to the system.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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:** 9 Feb 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** BIT-argo-cd-2021-26921, GHSA-9h6w-j7w4-jr52

## What is CVE-2021-26921?

CVE-2021-26921 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Argoproj Argo Cd, published on 9 Feb 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In util/session/sessionmanager.go in Argo CD before 1.8.4, tokens continue to work even when the user account is disabled.

Weakness: CWE-613 (DEPRECATED: Insufficient Session Expiration)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-26921?

1 open source package ship an affected version, including argo-cd. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `argo-cd` | Bitnami | All versions | 1.7.12, 1.8.4 |

Products: Argoproj Argo Cd.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-26921?

Upgrade argo-cd to a fixed version for your release line: 1.7.12 or 1.8.4.

## Is CVE-2021-26921 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-26921 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Argoproj Argo Cd

- [CVE-2025-55190](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-55190/): Argo CD: Project API Token Exposes Repository Credentials (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2022-29165](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-29165/): Argo CD will blindly trust JWT claims if anonymous access is enabled (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2023-40029](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40029/): Cluster secret might leak in cluster details page in Argo CD (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2022-24768](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-24768/): Improper access control allows admin privilege escalation in Argo CD (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2024-21652](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21652/): Argo CD vulnerable to Bypassing of Brute Force Protection via Application Crash and In-Memory Data Loss (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-26921 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-26921 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Argoproj Argo Cd, published on 9 Feb 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-2021-26921 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- argo-cd (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 1.7.12, 1.8.4

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-2021-26921/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26921/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-26921
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-26921
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-26921

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-26921/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.