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CVE-2021-35942

Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2021-35942 — gnu, netapp — glibc, active_iq_unified_manager

The wordexp function in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.33 may crash or read arbitrary memory in parse_param (in posix/wordexp.c) when called with an untrusted, crafted pattern, potentially resulting in a denial of service or disclosure of information. This occurs because atoi was used but strtoul should have been used to ensure correct calculations.

Wednesday, October 14, 2026gnuVulnios Threat Intelligence
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Vulnerability Snapshot

CVE-2021-35942 is rated CRITICAL — exploitation is trivial or already observed in the wild and impact is severe. Patch immediately, not on the next maintenance window.

Affected technology: glibc, active_iq_unified_manager, e-series_santricity_os_controller, hci_management_node, ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility, plus 2 other product variants.

Executive Summary

The wordexp function in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.33 may crash or read arbitrary memory in parse_param (in posix/wordexp.c) when called with an untrusted, crafted pattern, potentially resulting in a denial of service or disclosure of information. This occurs because atoi was used but strtoul should have been used to ensure correct calculations.

Why It Matters

CVE-2021-35942 is rated CRITICAL severity, requiring immediate attention from security teams.

CVSS Base Score: 9.1/10

EPSS (Exploit Prediction): 2.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Affected Technologies

Vendors: gnu, netapp, debian

Products: glibc, active_iq_unified_manager, e-series_santricity_os_controller, hci_management_node, ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility, solidfire, debian_linux

🛡️What Defenders Should Check

  • Check if you are affected — Review your asset inventory for products listed in CVE-2021-35942.
  • Apply available patches — Visit vendor advisories for the latest security updates.
  • Monitor for exploitation — Check your SIEM/IDS logs for related indicators.

    • Use Vulnios to continuously monitor your exposure to CVE-2021-35942 and similar vulnerabilities.

    References & Sources

  • https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00021.html
  • https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-24
  • https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210827-0005/
  • https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=28011
  • https://sourceware.org/git/?p=glibc.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=5adda61f62b77384718b4c0d8336ade8f2b4b35c
  • https://sourceware.org/glibc/wiki/Security%20Exceptions
  • https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/10/msg00021.html
  • https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202208-24
  • https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210827-0005/
  • https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=28011

    • How Vulnios Detects This

    Vulnios scans for this vulnerability using Trivy and Grype for CVE matching against your container images and OS package manifests. Run a scan against your environment to see whether you are exposed; findings are linked back to the original CVE record so triage starts with the patch path already known.

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    Affected Products

    glibcactive_iq_unified_managere-series_santricity_os_controllerhci_management_nodeontap_select_deploy_administration_utilitysolidfiredebian_linux

    Sources

    Related Threat Alerts

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is CVE-2021-35942?

    CVE-2021-35942 is a critical-severity vulnerability tracked under the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures program. The wordexp function in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.33 may crash or read arbitrary memory in parse_param (in posix/wordexp.c) when called with an untrusted, crafted pattern, potentially re

    Am I affected?

    Check whether your environment runs glibc, active_iq_unified_manager, e-series_santricity_os_controller, hci_management_node, ontap_select_deploy_administration_utility. If you operate any of those, treat yourself as in scope until you have evidence otherwise. A Vulnios scan will identify the exact assets carrying the affected version.

    How urgent is the response?

    Critical: do not wait for your normal patch cycle. Verify exposure today, apply the vendor patch immediately, and add detection rules for any post-exploit indicators.

    How do I remediate?

    Apply the vendor patch listed in the upstream advisory linked under Sources. If the patch is not yet available, follow the vendor-supplied workaround (often a config flag or feature disable) and add detections for the published exploit pattern in your SIEM. Re-scan after the patch lands to confirm the finding clears.

    Where can I track exploitation activity?

    Watch CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog for CVE-2021-35942. Cross-reference with public exploit databases and your own SIEM/IDS for indicator-of-compromise patterns. Vulnios tracks KEV status automatically and surfaces it on the asset findings view.

    How does Vulnios help with this?

    Vulnios continuously cross-references your asset inventory against the live CVE feed (NVD, vendor advisories, CISA KEV, and curated OSINT). When a new CVE matches your environment, you get a prioritized finding with the severity, KEV status, exploit-prediction (EPSS), and a direct path to the vendor patch. You can start a free scan from the homepage.

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