3scaleApplication · Redhat
CVE-2021-3814
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 · uneditedIt was found that 3scale's APIdocs does not validate the access token, in the case of invalid token, it uses session auth instead. This conceivably bypasses access controls and permits unauthorized information disclosure.
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 confidenceIn 3scale's APIdocs component, access token validation is not properly enforced. When an invalid or malformed access token is submitted, the system incorrectly falls back to session-based authentication instead of rejecting the request, allowing unauthorized access to potentially sensitive API documentation.
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
3scaleApplication
< 2.11.0CVSS 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 3scale versionAccess the 3scale admin portal or check the system/package version (e.g., via '3scale version' command, Helm chart version, or container image tag). Compare the installed version against the affected range: versions prior to 2.11.0 are vulnerable.Affected if Installed version is 2.10.x or earlier, or any version below 2.11.0
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Verify APIdocs component is accessibleConfirm that the APIdocs (API documentation) feature is enabled and publicly or internally accessible in the 3scale deployment. Check the route or endpoint serving the API docs.Affected if APIdocs endpoint is accessible without authentication controls in place
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Test token validation behaviorSend a request to the APIdocs endpoint with an intentionally invalid or malformed access token (e.g., a random string or malformed bearer token). Observe whether the system rejects the request or falls back to session-based authentication.Affected if Requests with invalid tokens are not rejected and instead allow access (indicating fallback to session auth)
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Review APIdocs authentication configurationExamine the 3scale configuration files or admin settings for APIdocs authentication. Look for how access tokens are validated and whether session fallback is enabled.Affected if Token validation is optional, missing, or session fallback is configured for APIdocs
A system is affected if it runs 3scale version below 2.11.0, has APIdocs enabled, and accepts requests with invalid access tokens without proper rejection.
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 · scoped2.11.0
The fix must enforce proper access token validation and reject requests with invalid tokens without falling back to session authentication. All authentication paths should be reviewed to ensure token validation is mandatory.
3scale 2.11.0
- Backup all 3scale configuration and data before proceeding with the upgrade
- Identify your current 3scale deployment method (e.g., operator, template, Docker)
- For operator-based deployments: Update the 3scale operator to a version that supports 3scale 2.11.0 or later, then apply the updated APIManager CRD
- For template-based deployments: Update your deployment templates to use 3scale 2.11.0 or later images
- Execute the upgrade following Red Hat's standard upgrade procedure for 3scale
- After upgrade, verify that APIdocs properly validates access tokens and rejects invalid tokens
- Test that unauthorized access to APIdocs is now properly blocked
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in 3scale
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing10.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-3814 — 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-2021-3814 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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