dbcve.org
Apisix DashboardApplication · Apache

CVE-2021-45232

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-12-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.10.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges 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
In Apache APISIX Dashboard before 2.10.1, the Manager API uses two frameworks and introduces framework `droplet` on the basis of framework `gin`, all APIs and authentication middleware are developed based on framework `droplet`, but some API directly use the interface of framework `gin` thus bypassing the authentication.

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 confidence

The Apache APISIX Dashboard Manager API uses two frameworks (droplet and gin). Authentication middleware is implemented in the droplet framework, but certain APIs directly use the gin framework interface, bypassing authentication entirely. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to access sensitive Manager API endpoints.

MitigationUpgrade Apache APISIX Dashboard to version 2.10.1 or later. As an interim control, restrict network access to the Manager API using firewall rules or network segmentation to prevent unauthenticated external access.

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
Apisix DashboardApplication
Affected:< 2.10.1

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
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 checks

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

  1. Identify Apache APISIX Dashboard installation
    Locate the apisix-dashboard installation directory or check running services. Common paths include /usr/local/apisix/dashboard, /opt/apisix/dashboard, or check systemctl status apisix-dashboard
    Affected if Apache APISIX Dashboard is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Check the version file or binary: look for a VERSION file in the installation directory, run 'apisix-dashboard version' if available, or check the Docker image tag if running in a container
    Affected if The version is less than 2.10.1 (e.g., 2.10.0, 2.9.x, etc.)
  3. Locate Manager API configuration
    Find the conf/conf.yaml or similar configuration file in the installation directory. Look for the manager_api section to identify the listening host and port (typically port 9080 or 8080)
    Affected if The Manager API is configured to listen on a non-localhost interface (0.0.0.0) or is exposed externally
  4. Verify network exposure of Manager API
    Check firewall rules, reverse proxy configuration, or cloud security groups that may allow external access to the Manager API port. Use 'netstat -tlnp' or 'ss -tlnp' to see which addresses the API is bound to
    Affected if The Manager API port is bound to 0.0.0.0 or an external IP address and is reachable from untrusted networks

You are affected if the Apache APISIX Dashboard version is below 2.10.1 AND the Manager API is network-accessible from untrusted sources.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.10.1 or later
Fixed in 2.10.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache APISIX Dashboard to version 2.10.1 or later. As an interim control, restrict network access to the Manager API using firewall rules or network segmentation to prevent unauthenticated external access.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.10.1

  1. Backup the current Apache APISIX Dashboard configuration and data directory
  2. Stop the currently running Apache APISIX Dashboard service
  3. Download Apache APISIX Dashboard version 2.10.1 from the official Apache APISIX repository or release page
  4. Install or replace the existing installation with version 2.10.1
  5. Review the configuration to ensure compatibility with version 2.10.1
  6. Start the Apache APISIX Dashboard service
  7. Verify that the Manager API authentication is now properly enforced and the vulnerability is resolved

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Apisix Dashboard Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,920
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,072.

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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-2021-45232 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data