# CVE-2021-32700: Supply chain attack via MiTM against users

> Attackers can inject malicious code into Ballerina executables by intercepting unencrypted package downloads, requiring users to upgrade to patched versions.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Jun 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f5qg-fqrw-v5ww, GHSA-jpjf-qc9h-8jgp

## What is CVE-2021-32700?

CVE-2021-32700 is a critical vulnerability in ballerina-platform ballerina-lang, published on 22 Jun 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Ballerina is an open source programming language and platform for cloud application programmers. Ballerina versions 1.2.x and SL releases up to alpha 3 have a potential for a supply chain attack via MiTM against users. Http connections did not make use of TLS and certificate checking was ignored. The vulnerability allows an attacker to substitute or modify packages retrieved from BC thus allowing to inject malicious code into ballerina executables. This has been patched in Ballerina 1.2.14 and Ballerina SwanLake alpha4.

Weakness: CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-32700?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ballerina Ballerina, Ballerina Swan Lake.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-32700?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-32700 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-32700 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-32700 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-32700 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-32700 is a critical vulnerability in ballerina-platform ballerina-lang, published on 22 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-2021-32700 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: ballerina-platform ballerina-lang. 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-2021-32700/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32700/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-32700
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-32700
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-32700

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-32700/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.