CVE-2021-41589
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 · uneditedIn Gradle Enterprise before 2021.3 (and Enterprise Build Cache Node before 10.0), there is potential cache poisoning and remote code execution when running the build cache node with its default configuration. This configuration allows anonymous access to the configuration user interface and anonymous write access to the build cache. If access control to the build cache is not changed from the default open configuration, a malicious actor with network access can populate the cache with manipulated entries that may execute malicious code as part of a build process. This applies to the build cache provided with Gradle Enterprise and the separate build cache node service if used. If access control to the user interface is not changed from the default open configuration, a malicious actor can undo build cache access control in order to populate the cache with manipulated entries that may execute malicious code as part of a build process. This does not apply to the build cache provided with Gradle Enterprise, but does apply to the separate build cache node service if used.
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 confidenceGradle Enterprise and Build Cache Node versions prior to 2023 and 10.0 respectively ship with default configurations permitting anonymous access to the admin UI and anonymous write access to the build cache. Attackers with network access can inject malicious cached build artifacts that execute arbitrary code during subsequent build operations.
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< 10.0< 2021.3CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Gradle Build Cache Node versionLocate the version information in the Build Cache Node admin UI under 'About' or check the startup logs, or query the version API endpoint if accessibleAffected if Version is below 10.0
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Identify installed Gradle Enterprise versionLocate the version information in the Gradle Enterprise admin UI under 'About' or check the application logsAffected if Version is below 2021.3
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Verify admin UI access controlsNavigate to the admin UI settings and examine the authentication configuration for the administrative interfaceAffected if Anonymous access is permitted to the admin UI
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Verify build cache write access controlsNavigate to the build cache node settings and examine the authorization configuration for cache write operationsAffected if Anonymous/unauthenticated users have write access to the build cache
A user is affected if they run Gradle Enterprise below 2021.3 or Build Cache Node below 10.0 AND anonymous access to the admin UI or anonymous write access to the build cache is enabled in the default configuration.
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 · scoped10.02021.3
Disable anonymous access by configuring authentication and authorization controls on the build cache node and configuration UI; restrict write access to authenticated, authorized users only.
Gradle Enterprise 2021.3 or later, Build Cache Node 10.0 or later
- Back up the current Gradle Enterprise or Build Cache Node configuration and data
- Upgrade Gradle Enterprise to version 2021.3 or later, OR upgrade Build Cache Node to version 10.0 or later
- After upgrade, verify that access control settings are properly configured by enabling authentication for the configuration user interface
- Configure appropriate access control for the build cache (enable authentication and authorization)
- Restart the service after making configuration changes
- Verify the build cache is functioning correctly with the new security settings
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-41589 — 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-2021-41589 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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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.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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