# CVE-2021-38973: Other in Security Key Lifecycle Manager

> IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager fails to properly validate input, potentially allowing attackers to disrupt operations or cause unexpected behavior.

- **Severity:** Low 2.4 (`CVSS:3.0/UI:R/AV:N/A:N/C:N/S:U/I:L/AC:L/PR:H/RL:O/RC:C/E:U`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hfrq-m3vv-wqhc

## What is CVE-2021-38973?

CVE-2021-38973 is a low-severity vulnerability in Ibm Security Key Lifecycle Manager, published on 12 Nov 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

IBM Tivoli Key Lifecycle Manager 3.0, 3.0.1, 4.0, and 4.1 receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-38973?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Ibm Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager, Ibm Security Key Lifecycle Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-38973?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-38973 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-38973 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Ibm Security Key Lifecycle Manager

- [CVE-2023-25921](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25921/): IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager file upload (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2023-25925](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25925/): IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager command injection (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2023-47706](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-47706/): IBM Security Guardium Key Lifecycle Manager file upload (medium 6.6)
- [CVE-2021-38976](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38976/): Hardcoded credentials in Security Key Lifecycle Manager (medium 6.2)
- [CVE-2021-38978](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38978/): Information disclosure in Security Key Lifecycle Manager (medium 5.9)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-38973 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-38973 is a low-severity vulnerability in Ibm Security Key Lifecycle Manager, published on 12 Nov 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38973 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ibm Security Key Lifecycle Manager. 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-2021-38973/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38973/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38973
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38973
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38973

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38973/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.