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CVE-2021-41104

HIGH

CVE-2021-41104 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Missing Authentication vulnerability in esphome esphome firmware. O3 Security detects and blocks CVE-2021-41104 exploitation at runtime via eBPF exploit-chain detection and L7 egress monitoring, even on unpatched systems.

ESPHome is a system to control the ESP8266/ESP32. Anyone with web_server enabled and HTTP basic auth configured on version 2021.9.1 or older is vulnerable to an issue in which `web_server`…

Published
Sep 28, 2021
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
Affected
0 pkgs
Patched
None yet
Exploits
None indexed

Description

ESPHome is a system to control the ESP8266/ESP32. Anyone with web_server enabled and HTTP basic auth configured on version 2021.9.1 or older is vulnerable to an issue in which web_server allows over-the-air (OTA) updates without checking user defined basic auth username & password. This issue is patched in version 2021.9.2. As a workaround, one may disable or remove web_server.

Affected Products

1 product · 1 configurations
OS
esphome firmwareesphome
< 2021.9.2
range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vendor / appliance
  1. Detect

    Inventory every esphome esphome firmware deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.

  2. Fix

    Apply the esphome esphome firmware security patch or hotfix for CVE-2021-41104 on the affected version, following the vendor advisory for your exact build.

  3. Workarounds

    Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.

  4. How O3 protects you

    O3 detects and blocks CVE-2021-41104 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.

Tailored to CVE-2021-41104. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

ESPHome is a system to control the ESP8266/ESP32. Anyone with web_server enabled and HTTP basic auth configured on version 2021.9.1 or older is vulnerable to an issue in which `web_server` allows over-the-air (OTA) updates without checking user defined basic auth username & password. This issue is patched in version 2021.9.2. As a workaround, one may disable or remove `web_server`.
O3 Security · Runtime Protection

Is CVE-2021-41104 being exploited in your environment?

O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2021-41104 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.