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GglockerApplication · Gglocker Project

CVE-2021-3179

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-12-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
GGLocker iOS application, contains an insecure data storage of the password hash value which results in an authentication bypass.

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 confidence

The GGLocker iOS application stores password hash values in an insecure manner, likely in plain text or easily accessible storage (e.g., UserDefaults, unencrypted file), allowing attackers who gain device access to retrieve and potentially bypass authentication mechanisms.

MitigationMigrate password hash storage to iOS Keychain with appropriate access controls (kSecAttrAccessibleWhenUnlockedThisDeviceOnly) or implement encrypted storage using iOS CryptoKit, ensuring sensitive credential data is protected by the device's hardware-backed security.

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
GglockerApplication
Affected:all versions

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

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

  1. Examine UserDefaults for password-related keys
    Inspect the app's UserDefaults storage by examining the application's NSUserDefaults (or UserDefaults in Swift) for any keys that may store password, hash, or credential-related data. Use a debugger or inspect the app's data container on a jailbroken device or through a forensics tool.
    Affected if Any key containing 'password', 'hash', 'credential', or similar sensitive terms is found stored in plain text in UserDefaults
  2. Check Documents directory for credential files
    Examine the app's Documents directory (accessible via iTunes file sharing, jailbreak tools, or device forensics) for any text files, JSON files, or plist files that may contain password hash values.
    Affected if Any file in the Documents folder contains plaintext or easily reversible password hash data
  3. Inspect Library/Application Support for insecure storage
    Review the Library/Application Support directory within the app's data container for stored credential files, configuration files, or database files (SQLite, plist) that may hold password hashes without encryption.
    Affected if Unencrypted password hash values are found stored in any file within the app's Library directories
  4. Check for hardcoded or embedded hash values
    Analyze the app binary or decompiled source code for hardcoded password hashes, or check if password hashes are being written to log files, caches, or temporary directories.
    Affected if Password hashes are found hardcoded in the binary or written to accessible temporary or cache storage
  5. Verify Keychain usage for credential storage
    Examine whether the app uses iOS Keychain services (SecItemAdd/SecItemCopyMatching) to store password hashes, or check if it bypasses Keychain and uses simpler storage mechanisms.
    Affected if The app does not use iOS Keychain and instead relies on UserDefaults, files, or other non-encrypted storage for password hashes

If password hash values are stored anywhere in UserDefaults, unencrypted files, or non-Keychain storage within the app's data container, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Migrate password hash storage to iOS Keychain with appropriate access controls (kSecAttrAccessibleWhenUnlockedThisDeviceOnly) or implement encrypted storage using iOS CryptoKit, ensuring sensitive credential data is protected by the device's hardware-backed security.

Fix this in Gglocker Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
19.0 hours of engineering $3,380
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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-2021-3179 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
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