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CVE-2021-21428

Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions in the OpenAPI-Generator online generator

9.3 CriticalFix available

Openapi generator is a java tool which allows generation of API client libraries (SDK generation), server stubs, documentation and configuration automatically given an OpenAPI Spec. openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system. The issue has been patched with Files.createTempFile and released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

0.35%Down 0.3 points since May 11, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 9.3

Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions in the OpenAPI-Generator online generator

Openapi generator is a java tool which allows generation of API client libraries (SDK generation), server stubs, documentation and configuration automatically given an OpenAPI Spec. openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system. The issue has been patched with Files.createTempFile and released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

Record
CVE-2021-21428
CVSS 3.1
9.3 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-269
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-0893 9.3

Openapi generator is a java tool which allows generation of API client libraries (SDK generation), server stubs, documentation and configuration automatically given an OpenAPI Spec. openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system. The issue has been patched with Files.createTempFile and released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

Record
EUVD-2021-0893
CVSS 3.1
9.3 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-23x4-m842-fmwf 9.3

Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions in the OpenAPI-Generator online generator

Impact

On Unix like systems, the system's temporary directory is shared between all users on that system. A collocated user can observe the process of creating a temporary sub directory in the shared temporary directory and race to complete the creation of the temporary subdirectory.

This vulnerability is local privilege escalation because the contents of the outputFolder can be appended to by an attacker. As such, code written to this directory, when executed can be attacker controlled.

openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system.

Vulnerable Code

https://github.com/OpenAPITools/openapi-generator/blob/c6530519975341d7784a252132b2f0854f488901/modules/openapi-generator-online/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/online/service/Generator.java#L184-L187

This vulnerability exists due to a race condition between the deletion of the randomly generated temporary file and the creation of the temporary directory.

File outputFolder = File.createTempFile("codegen-", "-tmp"); // Attacker knows the full path of the file that will be generated
// delete the file that was created
outputFolder.delete(); // Attacker sees file is deleted and begins a race to create their own directory before the code generator
// and make a directory of the same name
// SECURITY VULNERABILITY: Race Condition! - Attacker beats the code generator and now owns this directory
outputFolder.mkdir();

Patches

The issue has been patched by changing the underlying logic to use Files.createTempFile and has been released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

This vulnerability has the same root cause as CVE-2021-21363 from the swagger-api/swagger-codegen project as this project and that one both share the same original source tree. See: https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen/security/advisories/GHSA-pc22-3g76-gm6j

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Record
GHSA-23x4-m842-fmwf
CVSS 3.1
9.3 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-269, CWE-377, CWE-378, CWE-379, CWE-668
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 9.3

Openapi generator is a java tool which allows generation of API client libraries (SDK generation), server stubs, documentation and configuration automatically given an OpenAPI Spec. openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system. The issue has been patched with Files.createTempFile and released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

Record
CVE-2021-21428
CVSS 3.1
9.3 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 3.1
7.0 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
4.4 MediumAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-269, CWE-668
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.0

Openapi generator is a java tool which allows generation of API client libraries (SDK generation), server stubs, documentation and configuration automatically given an OpenAPI Spec. openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system. The issue has been patched with Files.createTempFile and released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

Record
CVE-2021-21428
CVSS 3.1
7.0 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-23x4-m842-fmwf 9.3

Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions in the OpenAPI-Generator online generator

Impact

On Unix like systems, the system's temporary directory is shared between all users on that system. A collocated user can observe the process of creating a temporary sub directory in the shared temporary directory and race to complete the creation of the temporary subdirectory.

This vulnerability is local privilege escalation because the contents of the outputFolder can be appended to by an attacker. As such, code written to this directory, when executed can be attacker controlled.

openapi-generator-online creates insecure temporary folders with File.createTempFile during the code generation process. The insecure temporary folders store the auto-generated files which can be read and appended to by any users on the system.

Vulnerable Code

https://github.com/OpenAPITools/openapi-generator/blob/c6530519975341d7784a252132b2f0854f488901/modules/openapi-generator-online/src/main/java/org/openapitools/codegen/online/service/Generator.java#L184-L187

This vulnerability exists due to a race condition between the deletion of the randomly generated temporary file and the creation of the temporary directory.

File outputFolder = File.createTempFile("codegen-", "-tmp"); // Attacker knows the full path of the file that will be generated
// delete the file that was created
outputFolder.delete(); // Attacker sees file is deleted and begins a race to create their own directory before the code generator
// and make a directory of the same name
// SECURITY VULNERABILITY: Race Condition! - Attacker beats the code generator and now owns this directory
outputFolder.mkdir();

Patches

The issue has been patched by changing the underlying logic to use Files.createTempFile and has been released in the v5.1.0 stable version.

This vulnerability has the same root cause as CVE-2021-21363 from the swagger-api/swagger-codegen project as this project and that one both share the same original source tree. See: https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen/security/advisories/GHSA-pc22-3g76-gm6j

For more information

If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:

Record
GHSA-23x4-m842-fmwf
CVSS 3.1
9.3 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-269, CWE-377, CWE-378, CWE-379, CWE-668
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
org.openapitools:openapi-generator-online
Maven
before 5.1.0
5.1.0
org.openapitools:openapi-generator-online
Maven
before 5.1.0, plus listed versions
3.0.03.0.13.0.23.0.33.1.0
Show 33 moreShow less
3.1.13.1.23.2.03.2.13.2.23.2.33.3.03.3.13.3.23.3.33.3.44.0.04.0.0-beta4.0.0-beta24.0.0-beta34.0.14.0.24.0.34.1.04.1.14.1.24.1.34.2.04.2.14.2.24.2.34.3.04.3.15.0.05.0.0-beta5.0.0-beta25.0.0-beta35.0.1
5.1.0

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2021-21428 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.3) in Openapi-generator Openapi Generator, published May 10, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.35%, the 28th percentile. Fixed in org.openapitools:openapi-generator-online 5.1.0.

References

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