Evidence used
- No CISA KEV confirmation is currently recorded.
- EPSS is 0.39% for the current model date.
BlackTreeCVE IntelligenceFull vulnerability report · 2021
CVE-2021-41130High confidence
X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo can be spoofed in cloudendpoints Extensible Service Proxy
cloudendpoints · esp
Official source article: GitHub GHSA-43WX-8QMJ-9R9Q ↗. Check the applicable product and release in the original source.
6.4MediumCVSS 3.1
Scheduled
Patch availableMedium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
R
Open reassessment dashboard →Operational reassessment
Published severity in operational context
Published severityMedium→Operational priority:Medium, unchanged from published severity.unchanged
Compensating controls
- Validate the affected product branch and deploy the verified fixed release.
- Restrict the affected network interface to trusted sources where business-safe.
- Monitor vendor guidance and exploitation sources for a material change.
Verification
- Confirm that the asset runs cloudendpoints esp and falls inside the recorded affected range.
- Verify the installed build against the product-specific fixed version after deployment.
- Validate exposure, authentication requirements and compensating controls in the actual environment.
- Reopen this reassessment when CVSS, KEV, EPSS, exploit evidence or remediation changes.
Medium technical severity with no CISA KEV confirmation; remediate through the normal risk-based patch cycle unless local exposure raises the priority.
Patch available01
What, why and how
Extensible Service Proxy, a.k.a. ESP is a proxy which enables API management capabilities for JSON/REST or gRPC API services. ESPv1 can be configured to authenticate a JWT token. Its verified JWT claim is passed to the application by HTTP header "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo", the application can use it to do authorization. But if there are two "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" headers from the client, ESPv1 only replaces the first one, the 2nd one will be passed to the application. An attacker can send two "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" headers, the second one with a fake JWT claim. Application may use the fake JWT claim to do the authorization. This impacts following ESPv1 usages: 1) Users have configured ESPv1 to do JWT authentication with Google ID Token as described in the referenced google endpoint document. 2) Users backend application is using the info in the "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" header to do the authorization. It has been fixed by v1.58.0. You need to patch it in the following ways: * If your docker image is using tag ":1", needs to re-start the container to pick up the new version. The tag ":1" will automatically point to the latest version. * If your docker image tag pings to a specific minor version, e.g. ":1.57". You need to update it to ":1.58" and re-start the container. There are no workaround for this issue.
What
Extensible Service Proxy, a.k.a. ESP is a proxy which enables API management capabilities for JSON/REST or gRPC API services. ESPv1 can be configured to authenticate a JWT token. Its verified JWT claim is passed to the application by HTTP header "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo", the application can use it to do authorization. But if there are two "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" headers from the client, ESPv1 only replaces the first one, the 2nd one will be passed to the application. An attacker can send two "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" headers, the second one with a fake JWT claim. Application may use the fake JWT claim to do the authorization. This impacts following ESPv1 usages: 1) Users have configured ESPv1 to do JWT authentication with Google ID Token as described in the referenced google endpoint document. 2) Users backend application is using the info in the "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" header to do the authorization. It has been fixed by v1.58.0. You need to patch it in the following ways: * If your docker image is using tag ":1", needs to re-start the container to pick up the new version. The tag ":1" will automatically point to the latest version. * If your docker image tag pings to a specific minor version, e.g. ":1.57". You need to update it to ":1.58" and re-start the container. There are no workaround for this issue.
Why
This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
What
Extensible Service Proxy, a.k.a. ESP is a proxy which enables API management capabilities for JSON/REST or gRPC API services. ESPv1 can be configured to authenticate a JWT token. Its verified JWT claim is passed to the application by HTTP header "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo", the application can use it to do authorization. But if there are two "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" headers from the client, ESPv1 only replaces the first one, the 2nd one will be passed to the application. An attacker can send two "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" headers, the second one with a fake JWT claim. Application may use the fake JWT claim to do the authorization. This impacts following ESPv1 usages: 1) Users have configured ESPv1 to do JWT authentication with Google ID Token as described in the referenced google endpoint document. 2) Users backend application is using the info in the "X-Endpoint-API-UserInfo" header to do the authorization. It has been fixed by v1.58.0. You need to patch it in the following ways: * If your docker image is using tag ":1", needs to re-start the container to pick up the new version. The tag ":1" will automatically point to the latest version. * If your docker image tag pings to a specific minor version, e.g. ":1.57". You need to update it to ":1.58" and re-start the container. There are no workaround for this issue.
Why
This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.
How
An attacker operating through a network path may attempt exploitation with low privileges. If successful, the issue may cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor.
02
Exploit reality and attack path
CVSS severity, EPSS forecast probability, public exploit material and CISA-confirmed exploitation are separate signals.
Observed exploitation No confirmed evidence
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No CISA KEV match was present at the last successful refresh. This means no confirmation from that source, not proof of no exploitation.
Public PoC / exploit material None recorded
?
Confirmed exploitation and public exploit material are separate signals. Attacks can occur without public proof-of-concept or exploit code.No exploit-tagged reference or CISA SSVC proof-of-concept state is currently recorded. Research may still exist outside the structured feeds.
- Likely attack path
- a network path → Authentication Bypass by Spoofing → cause the confidentiality, integrity or availability impact described by the vendor
- Attack surface
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low: a basic authenticated account is required
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low: no specialised conditions are recorded
- Security boundary
- Changed: exploitation can affect a different security authority
- Weakness
?
CWE means Common Weakness Enumeration: a standard category for the underlying weakness. - CWE-290 ↗
CWE-290: Authentication Bypass by Spoofing. This attack-focused weakness is caused by incorrectly implemented authentication schemes that are subject to spoofing attacks.
- CVSS vector
?
CVSS means Common Vulnerability Scoring System. The vector records the metric values used to calculate technical severity. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:NCommon Vulnerability Scoring System 3.1: the compact vector below is decoded into plain language.
AVNetworkAttack vector: The vulnerable component can be reached over a network.ACLowAttack complexity: No specialised conditions are required beyond attacker-controlled input.PRLowPrivileges required: The attacker needs basic user-level privileges.UINoneUser interaction: No action by another user is required.SChangedScope: The attack can affect a component governed by a different security authority.CLowConfidentiality impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ILowIntegrity impact: A successful attack can cause a limited loss.ANoneAvailability impact: No direct loss is represented by this metric.- Post-exploitation / living off the land
- Stolen credentials, tokens and legitimate administration functions may provide continued access without deploying a large custom toolset.
03
Patch and workaround
Operational remediation based on structured source evidence.
- Status
?
Patch availability is based on structured fixed-version fields and authoritative update references. If no fix is verified, check the vendor advisory before making a change. - Patch available
- Affected
- esp: < 1.58.0
- Action
- Review the linked authoritative reference and apply the recorded fixed release appropriate to the affected product branch.
- Workaround
- No verified workaround is recorded. If business-safe, reduce exposure to the affected interface and allow only trusted sources until authoritative guidance is available.
04
Evidence and provenance
Published 7 Oct 2021 · Last source change 4 Aug 2024, 02:59 UTC · CWE-290 · Authentication Bypass by Spoofing
CVE recordCVE.org · 5.1
CVSS sourceCNA
EPSS source FIRST · tracked since 2026-08-14
?
The date BlackTree first stored a score for this CVE from the daily FIRST EPSS feed.European sourceENISA EUVD · EUVD-2021-28253
Product sourceCNA
Remediation sourceCVE/CNA references
CWE sourceCNA
NVD statusNVD modified after enrichment
Core structured fields are present and their contributing authorities are shown above.
Material change intelligence
View recent updates ↗What changed after publication
No material field changes have been recorded since change tracking began. Routine source refreshes and cosmetic edits are intentionally excluded.
CVE published
Fixed release or patch reference recorded
Technical terms and abbreviations used in this report
- CVE
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures: the public identifier for one disclosed vulnerability.
- CVSS
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System: a technical severity framework; it is not patching priority by itself.
- EPSS
- Exploit Prediction Scoring System: FIRST's estimate of the probability that exploitation activity will be observed in the next 30 days; it is a forecast, not confirmation.
- CWE
- Common Weakness Enumeration: the standard category describing the underlying software or hardware weakness.
- CNA
- CVE Numbering Authority: an organisation authorised to assign and publish CVE records.
- CISA ADP
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Authorized Data Publisher: structured enrichment added to a CVE record.
- NVD
- National Vulnerability Database: NIST's enrichment service for CVE records.
- CERT / CSIRT
- A computer security incident response team that publishes warnings or coordinates incident response.
- PoC
- Proof of concept: public material that demonstrates or helps reproduce exploitation.
- CSAF
- Common Security Advisory Framework: a machine-readable format for security advisories.
- LoTL
- Living off the land: abuse of legitimate tools or system functions during an attack.