CVE-2021-34813
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is...
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
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
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
9.8
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
CVE-2021-34813- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - CVSS 2.0
- 7.5 High
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P - Weakness
- CWE-787
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
CVE-2021-34813- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-21460 No score
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
EUVD-2021-21460- Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-269w-9hm6-g22q No score
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is...
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
GHSA-269w-9hm6-g22q- Weakness
- CWE-787
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
9.8
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
CVE-2021-34813- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2021-34813
9.8
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2021-34813- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2021-34813
9.8
Matrix libolm before 3.2.3 allows a malicious Matrix homeserver to crash a client (while it is attempting to retrieve an Olm encrypted room key backup from the homeserver) because olm_pk_decrypt has a stack-based buffer overflow. Remote code execution might be possible for some nonstandard build configurations.
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2021-34813- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 Critical
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUSN-5194-1 No score
olm vulnerability
Denis Kasak discovered that Olm was not verifying the length of input being processed by the olm_pk_decrypt module, which introduced a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability to the library. An attacker could use this to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code.
- Record
USN-5194-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
olmDebian:12 |
before 3.2.3~dfsg-3 | 3.2.3~dfsg-3 |
olmDebian:13 |
before 3.2.3~dfsg-3 | 3.2.3~dfsg-3 |
olmDebian:14 |
before 3.2.3~dfsg-3 | 3.2.3~dfsg-3 |
olmUbuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS |
before 3.1.3+dfsg-2ubuntu0.1~esm1, plus listed versions 3.1.3+dfsg-23.1.3+dfsg-2build13.1.3+dfsg-2build2 |
3.1.3+dfsg-2ubuntu0.1~esm1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2021-34813 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Matrix Olm, published June 16, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 4.26%, the 91st percentile. Fixed in olm 3.2.3~dfsg-3.
References
matrix.org/blog/2021/06/14/adventures-in-fuzzing-libolm
gitlab.matrix.org/matrix-org/olm/-/releases/3.2.3
gitlab.matrix.org/matrix-org/olm/-/commit/ccc0d122ee1b4d5e5ca4ec1432086be17d5f901b
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34813
github.com/advisories/GHSA-269w-9hm6-g22q
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2021-34813
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2021-34813
ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-5194-1
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-34813