CVE-2021-21311
Adminer Server-Side Request Forgery Vulnerability
Adminer is an open-source database management in a single PHP file. In adminer from version 4.0.0 and before 4.7.9 there is a server-side request forgery vulnerability. Users of Adminer versions bundling all drivers (e.g. `adminer.php`) are affected. This is fixed in version 4.7.9.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, CISA, FIRST EPSS
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Confirmed
CISA KEV, listed Sep 29, 2025
EPSS
90%
ahead of 99.8% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
7.2
high · 2 sources
CISA SSVC assessment
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Exploitation
Active
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
Yes
can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Partial
partial · total control of the vulnerable component
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade Adminer to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Federal deadline Oct 20, 2025 — passed 309 days ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adminer | Adminer | — | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
None
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Scope
Changed
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Network
Privileges Req
None
User Interaction
None
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 | CVSS 3.1 | high | 3.9 | 2.7 | GitHub (CNA), NVD |
| 6.4 | CVSS 2.0 | medium | 10 | 4.9 | NVD |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-918Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
Inferred from the weakness class — not observed against this CVE.
CISA KEV details
CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
Listed
Sep 29, 2025
Federal deadline
Oct 20, 2025
passed 309 days ago
Ransomware use
Unknown
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a date to argue against.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for network-reachable Adminer.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added · CVSS 3.1 7.2 (AV:N)
Jun 17, 2026 · NVD
- 2025
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Sep 29, 2025 · CISA
- 2021
Initial · CVE published
Feb 11, 2021 · NVD
References
7 on the record
- github.com/vrana/adminer/commit/ccd2374b0b12bd547417bf0dacdf153826c83351
Patch
- github.com/vrana/adminer/files/5957311/Adminer.SSRF.pdf
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- github.com/vrana/adminer/security/advisories/GHSA-x5r2-hj5c-8jx6
Patch, Third Party Advisory, Vendor Advisory
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/03/msg00002.html
Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
- packagist.org/packages/vrana/adminer
Product, Third Party Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-21311
US Government Resource
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-21311
Vendor Advisory
Elsewhere on this site
- Adminerevery CVE for this vendor
- September 2025what else CISA listed
- SSRFsame class
- CWE-918other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2021-21311 is Adminer Server-Side Request Forgery Vulnerability, a high vulnerability affecting Adminer from Adminer. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: A public PoC is not confirmed from current sources for CVE-2021-21311. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 7.2 describes technical severity, while EPSS 90% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.