CVE-2021-43298
Published: 25 January 2022
Summary
CVE-2021-43298 is a critical-severity Observable Timing Discrepancy (CWE-208) vulnerability in Embedthis Goahead. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, ranked in the top 45.2% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2021-30241
Vulnerability details
The code that performs password matching when using 'Basic' HTTP authentication does not use a constant-time memcmp and has no rate-limiting. This means that an unauthenticated network attacker can brute-force the HTTP basic password, byte-by-byte, by recording the webserver's response…
more
time until the unauthorized (401) response.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
This control directly enforces limits on consecutive invalid logon attempts and automatic response (e.g., lockout) to prevent brute-force exploitation of authentication mechanisms.
Specific conditions can include excessive failed attempts, triggering stronger authentication that restricts brute-force exploitation.
Timing randomization or delays can mask true operation timing and mislead timing-based attacks.
Observable timing discrepancies are a primary mechanism for constructing covert timing channels; analysis identifies and bounds them, limiting exploitation.