How severe is CVE-2021-38294?

CVE-2021-38294 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10, rated CRITICAL. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-38294?

CVE-2021-38294 affects the following packages: org.apache.storm:storm (Maven), org.apache.storm:storm (Maven), org.apache.storm:storm (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38294?

Update org.apache.storm:storm to 2.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-38294 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2021-38294 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.storm:storm. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.

How do I mitigate CVE-2021-38294 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2021-38294?

O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2021-38294 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is CVE-2021-38294 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 2 known exploit references for CVE-2021-38294, including 2 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2021-38294?

CVE-2021-38294 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 84.5%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

When was CVE-2021-38294 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2021-38294 was published on October 25, 2021 and was last updated on April 10, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

CVE-2021-38294

CRITICAL

Command injection leading to Remote Code Execution in Apache Storm

Also known asGHSA-6768-mcjc-8223

Published

Oct 25, 2021

Updated

Apr 10, 2026

Affected

3 pkgs

Patched

3 / 3

Exploits

2 known

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

84.5%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk100th percentile+2.42%

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Blast Radius

3 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.storm:storm☕org.apache.storm:storm☕org.apache.storm:storm

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

A Command Injection vulnerability exists in the getTopologyHistory service of the Apache Storm 2.x prior to 2.2.1 and Apache Storm 1.x prior to 1.2.4. A specially crafted thrift request to the Nimbus server allows Remote Code Execution (RCE) prior to authentication.

Affected Packages

3 total 3 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.storm:storm`	≥ 2.2.0&&< 2.2.1	2.2.1
☕Maven	`org.apache.storm:storm`	≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.1.1	2.1.1
☕Maven	`org.apache.storm:storm`	≥ 1.0.0&&< 1.2.4	1.2.4

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

A Command Injection vulnerability exists in the getTopologyHistory servi…

github.comMetasploitNov 2021

A Command Injection vulnerability exists in the getTopologyHistory servi…

packetstormsecurity.comNVDNov 2021

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.storm:storm. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.apache.storm:storm to 2.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-38294 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2021-38294 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Tailored to CVE-2021-38294. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2021-38294 in your dependencies?

O3 detects CVE-2021-38294 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works