# CVE-2021-27790: Memory corruption in Brocade Fabric OS

> Authenticated attackers can trigger stack-based buffer overflows in Brocade Fabric OS to execute arbitrary code with root privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Aug 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qp38-g7j8-6pgx

## What is CVE-2021-27790?

CVE-2021-27790 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Broadcom Fabric Operating System, published on 12 Aug 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The command ipfilter in Brocade Fabric OS before Brocade Fabric OS v.9.0.1a, v8.2.3, and v8.2.0_CBN4, and v7.4.2h uses unsafe string function to process user input. Authenticated attackers can abuse this vulnerability to exploit stack-based buffer overflows, allowing execution of arbitrary code as the root user account.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-27790?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Broadcom Fabric Operating System.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-27790?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-27790 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-27790 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-27790 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Broadcom Fabric Operating System

- [CVE-2025-1976](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-1976/): Broadcom Brocade Fabric OS Code Injection (high 8.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-22555](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-22555/): Linux Kernel Heap Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-33186](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-33186/): Command injection in Brocade Fabric OS (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-27797](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27797/): Hardcoded credentials in Brocade Fabric OS (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-15371](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-15371/): Code injection in Brocade Fabric OS (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-27790 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-27790 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Broadcom Fabric Operating System, published on 12 Aug 2021. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-27790 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Broadcom Fabric Operating System. 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-2021-27790/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27790/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-27790
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-27790
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-27790

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27790/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.