CVE-2021-32704
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 · uneditedDHIS 2 is an information system for data capture, management, validation, analytics and visualization. A SQL injection security vulnerability has been found in specific versions of DHIS2. This vulnerability affects the /api/trackedEntityInstances API endpoint in DHIS2 versions 2.34.4, 2.35.2, 2.35.3, 2.35.4, and 2.36.0. Earlier versions, such as 2.34.3 and 2.35.1 and all versions 2.33 and older are unaffected. The system is vulnerable to attack only from users that are logged in to DHIS2, and there is no known way of exploiting the vulnerability without first being logged in as a DHIS2 user. A successful exploit of this vulnerability could allow the malicious user to read, edit and delete data in the DHIS2 instance. There are no known exploits of the security vulnerabilities addressed by these patch releases. However, we strongly recommend that all DHIS2 implementations using versions 2.34, 2.35 and 2.36 install these patches as soon as possible. There is no straightforward known workaround for DHIS2 instances using the Tracker functionality other than upgrading the affected DHIS2 server to one of the patches in which this vulnerability has been fixed. For implementations which do NOT use Tracker functionality, it may be possible to block all network access to POST to the /api/trackedEntityInstance endpoint as a temporary workaround while waiting to upgrade.
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 confidenceSQL injection vulnerability in DHIS2's /api/trackedEntityInstances endpoint allows authenticated users to read, edit, and delete data in the database. The vulnerability affects versions 2.34.4, 2.35.2-2.35.4, and 2.36.0, with earlier versions unaffected.
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>= 2.34.4, < 2.34.5>= 2.35.2, < 2.35.5>= 2.36.0, < 2.36.1CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify DHIS2 versionCheck the installed DHIS2 version by accessing the /api/system/info endpoint or checking the dhis2.conf configuration file. On the server, you can also check the WAR file name or the database version table.Affected if The installed version is 2.34.4, or between 2.35.2 and 2.35.4 inclusive, or is exactly 2.36.0. Versions before 2.34.4 are not affected.
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Verify Tracker module is enabledIn the DHIS2 web interface, go to Apps > Tracker Capture or check the system configuration. Alternatively, query the /api/modules endpoint to see if the 'tracker' module is listed as active.Affected if The Tracker module is enabled and accessible. The vulnerability only applies when Tracker is active.
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Confirm endpoint accessibilityVerify that the /api/trackedEntityInstances endpoint is accessible by attempting a GET or POST request with valid authentication credentials, or by checking API configuration.Affected if The endpoint responds to authenticated requests. The SQL injection requires a valid authenticated session to exploit.
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Review API access logsExamine HTTP access logs for the application server (Tomcat, Jetty, etc.) for requests to /api/trackedEntityInstances, focusing on POST requests with unusual parameter patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.Affected if Unusual or suspicious patterns exist in trackedEntityInstances API calls, such as SQL syntax in parameter values.
Your environment is affected if you are running DHIS2 version 2.34.4, 2.35.2-2.35.4, or 2.36.0, AND the Tracker module is enabled, AND the trackedEntityInstances endpoint is accessible to authenticated users.
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.
dbcve · scoped2.34.52.35.52.36.1
Upgrade DHIS2 to patched versions. For non-Tracker implementations, temporarily block POST requests to /api/trackedEntityInstance as a workaround while planning the upgrade.
2.34.5 (for 2.34.x) | 2.35.5 (for 2.35.x) | 2.36.1 (for 2.36.x)
- Identify your current DHIS2 version from the affected ranges (2.34.4, 2.35.2-2.35.4, or 2.36.0)
- Backup your DHIS2 database and configuration before proceeding
- For implementations NOT using Tracker functionality, temporarily block POST requests to /api/trackedEntityInstances at the web server or firewall level as an interim mitigation
- Upgrade DHIS2 to the appropriate fixed version: 2.34.5 if on 2.34.x branch, 2.35.5 if on 2.35.x branch, or 2.36.1 if on 2.36.x branch
- Verify the upgrade was successful and the /api/trackedEntityInstances endpoint is functioning correctly
- If applied, remove the temporary network blocking workaround for the /api/trackedEntityInstances endpoint
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-32704 — 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-2021-32704 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
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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