# CVE-2021-27021: SQL injection in Puppet DB

> An SQL injection flaw in Puppet DB allows attackers to escalate privileges and delete database tables.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Jul 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-27021, GHSA-j664-pgf6-rhhh, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-27021

## What is CVE-2021-27021?

CVE-2021-27021 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in Puppet Puppet Enterprise, published on 20 Jul 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was discovered in Puppet DB, this flaw results in an escalation of privileges which allows the user to delete tables via an SQL query.

Weakness: CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command), CWE-1027

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-27021?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Puppet Puppet, Puppet Puppet Enterprise, Puppet Puppetdb.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-27021?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-27021 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-27021 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Puppet Puppet Enterprise

- [CVE-2016-2785](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-2785/): Puppet Improper Access Control (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-6513](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6513/): Privilege escalation in Puppet Enterprise and Puppet Agent (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-6514](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6514/): Privilege escalation in Puppet Agent (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2018-6515](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6515/): Code injection in Puppet Agent (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2013-1655](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-1655/): Puppet Improper Input Validation vulnerability (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-27021 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-27021 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability in Puppet Puppet Enterprise, 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-2021-27021 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Puppet Puppet Enterprise. 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-2021-27021/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27021/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-27021
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-27021
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27021

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27021/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.