CVE-2021-27784
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 · uneditedThe provided HCL Launch Container images contain non-unique HTTPS certificates and a database encryption key. The fix provides directions and tools to replace the non-unique keys and certificates. This does not affect the standard installer packages.
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 · moderate confidenceHCL Launch Container images ship with pre-generated, non-unique HTTPS certificates and a database encryption key that are identical across all deployments. This creates a static credential vulnerability where attackers who obtain the default certificate or key can impersonate the server or decrypt database contents across any deployment using the affected images.
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>= 7.0.0.0, <= 7.0.52>= 7.1.0.0, < 7.1.0.1>= 7.2.0.0, <= 7.2.3.0= 7.1.0.1CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the HCL Launch container image versionCheck the container image tag or inspect image metadata using 'docker images' or 'podman images', or check the product version within the running container if accessibleAffected if The version falls within >= 7.0.0.0 through <= 7.0.52, >= 7.1.0.0 through < 7.1.0.1, >= 7.2.0.0 through <= 7.2.3.0, or equals exactly 7.1.0.1
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Locate HTTPS certificates in the containerSearch for certificate files in the container's filesystem - common locations include /opt/IBM/ucd, /opt/hcl, or configuration directories. Look for .pem, .crt, .keystore, or .truststore filesAffected if Certificates appear to be identical across multiple different deployments or match publicly documented default certificate patterns
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Verify database encryption key configurationExamine the container's configuration for database encryption keys - check environment variables, configuration files, or mounted volumes for encryption key settings. Look for 'db.encryption.key' or similar configuration parametersAffected if The same encryption key value is used across different deployments or appears to be a default static value rather than a unique per-deployment key
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Compare certificates or keys across deploymentsIf you have access to multiple HCL Launch deployments, extract and compare the HTTPS certificates and database encryption keys from each to check for uniquenessAffected if The certificates or encryption keys are byte-for-byte identical across different deployments
A user is affected if they are running an HCL Launch container image version within the affected ranges AND are using the default certificates or database encryption keys that shipped with the image rather than uniquely generated ones.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor data7.1.0.1
Regenerate unique HTTPS certificates and database encryption keys for each deployment using the tools provided in the fix, and ensure proper certificate distribution and trust chain validation.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,664.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-27784 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-27784 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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