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Weblogic ServerApplication · Oracle

CVE-2021-2108

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-01-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Vulnerability in the Oracle WebLogic Server product of Oracle Fusion Middleware (component: Core Components). The supported version that is affected is 12.1.3.0.0. Easily exploitable vulnerability allows unauthenticated attacker with network access via IIOP, T3 to compromise Oracle WebLogic Server. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle WebLogic Server. CVSS 3.1 Base Score 9.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Critical deserialization vulnerability in Oracle WebLogic Server 12.1.3.0.0 Core Components that allows unauthenticated remote code execution via IIOP or T3 network protocols. An attacker can achieve complete system compromise and takeover of the WebLogic Server without any credentials.

MitigationApply Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) released January 2021 or later that addresses CVE-2021-2108. As an interim control, restrict network access to IIOP (port 7001) and T3 (port 7002) ports to trusted sources only.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Weblogic ServerApplication
Affected:= 12.1.3.0.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify WebLogic Server installation and version
    Locate the WebLogic installation directory (typically $ORACLE_HOME/wlserver) and check the version file. Common locations: <weblogic_home>/utils/commoneEnv/commoneEnv.sh or check the registry file. Alternatively, run: java -jar <weblogic_home>/wlserver/server/lib/weblogic.jar 2>&1 | head -20
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 12.1.3.0.0
  2. Verify IIOP protocol is enabled
    Check the WebLogic Server configuration file (config.xml) for IIOP settings. Navigate to <domain_name>/config/config.xml and search for <iiop> or <iiop-enabled> tags. Also check if port 7001 is listening: netstat -an | grep 7001 or nmap -p 7001 <server_ip>
    Affected if IIOP is enabled and port 7001 is accessible on the server
  3. Verify T3 protocol is enabled
    Check the WebLogic Server configuration file (config.xml) for T3 settings. Navigate to <domain_name>/config/config.xml and search for <t3> or <t3-enabled> tags. Also check if port 7002 is listening: netstat -an | grep 7002 or nmap -p 7002 <server_ip>
    Affected if T3 is enabled and port 7002 is accessible on the server
  4. Assess network exposure of vulnerable ports
    Review firewall rules, network ACLs, and security groups to determine if ports 7001 (IIOP) and 7002 (T3) are exposed to untrusted networks. Use: iptables -L -n or review cloud security group configurations
    Affected if Either port 7001 or 7002 is accessible from untrusted network segments or the internet

You are affected if WebLogic Server version 12.1.3.0.0 is running with IIOP or T3 protocols enabled and those ports are accessible to untrusted network sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Oracle Critical Patch Update (CPU) released January 2021 or later that addresses CVE-2021-2108. As an interim control, restrict network access to IIOP (port 7001) and T3 (port 7002) ports to trusted sources only.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Oracle WebLogic Server 12.2.1.4.0 or later (or apply Oracle CPUJAN2021 patch for 12.1.3.0.0)

  1. 1. Review Oracle's official Critical Patch Update (CPU) advisory for January 2021 for CVE-2021-2108 to obtain the specific patch number
  2. 2. Download and apply the corresponding WebLogic Server patch from Oracle Support (My Oracle Support)
  3. 3. Alternatively, upgrade to Oracle WebLogic Server 12.2.1.4.0 or later (12.1.3.x reached extended support)
  4. 4. After applying the patch or upgrade, restart all WebLogic Server instances
  5. 5. Verify the fix by checking the WebLogic Server version and ensuring IIOP/T3 listeners are properly secured
  6. 6. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to IIOP and T3 ports (typically 7001/7002 for T3, 2809 for IIOP) to trusted networks only
Caveat Upgrading from 12.1.3.x to 12.2.x may require application compatibility testing; 12.1.3.x is in extended support phase

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Weblogic Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-2108 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data