# CVE-2021-3717: Wildfly-Core user account mismanagement

> Incorrect JBOSS_LOCAL_USER challenge location in WildFly allows local users to bypass authentication and access all machine users.

- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 May 2022
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-p9xf-3rm3-qh2h

## What is CVE-2021-3717?

CVE-2021-3717 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform, published on 24 May 2022. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A flaw was found in Wildfly. An incorrect JBOSS_LOCAL_USER challenge location when using the elytron configuration may lead to JBOSS_LOCAL_USER access to all users on the machine. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This flaw affects wildfly-core versions prior to 17.0.

Weakness: CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-3717?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.wildfly.core:wildfly-core-parent. It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.wildfly.core:wildfly-core-parent` | Maven | All versions | 17.0 |
| `org.wildfly.core:wildfly-core-parent` | Maven | All versions | 17.0 |

Products: Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform, Redhat Single Sign-On, Redhat Wildfly Core.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-3717?

Upgrade org.wildfly.core:wildfly-core-parent to 17.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2021-3717 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-3717 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform

- [CVE-2017-12149](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-12149/): Red Hat JBoss Application Server Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-1428](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1428/): Red Hat JBoss Information Disclosure (medium 5.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-0738](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0738/): Red Hat JBoss Authentication Bypass (low 3.7, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2016-3690](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-3690/): Deserialization in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2017-7504](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-7504/): Deserialization in JBoss (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-3717 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-3717 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform, published on 24 May 2022. 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-2021-3717 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.wildfly.core:wildfly-core-parent (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 17.0
- org.wildfly.core:wildfly-core-parent (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 17.0

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-2021-3717/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3717/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-3717
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3717
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-3717

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3717/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.