Synapse is a package for Matrix homeservers written in Python 3/Twisted. Prior to version 1.47.1, Synapse instances with the media repository enabled can be tricked into downloading a file from a remote server into an arbitrary directory. No authentication is required for the affected endpoint. The last 2 directories and file name of the path are chosen randomly by Synapse and cannot be controlled by an attacker, which limits the impact. Homeservers with the media repository disabled are unaffected. Homeservers with a federation whitelist are also unaffected, since Synapse will check the remote hostname, including the trailing ../s, against the whitelist. Server administrators should upgrade to 1.47.1 or later. Server administrators using a reverse proxy could, at the expense of losing media functionality, may block the certain endpoints as a workaround. Alternatively, non-containerized deployments can be adapted to use the hardened systemd config.
CVE-2021-41281
This high-severity CVE scores 7.5 under NVD CVSS v3. EPSS exploit probability: 1.6% (74th percentile of EPSS-scored CVEs). GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
A fix is available — apply it.
- CVSS v3
- 7.5
- EG Score
- 7.5HIGHmedium confidence
- EG Risk
- 39EG Risk 39/100CISA SSVC
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity75% × 45%Exploitation2% × 40%Automatability30% × 15%CISA SSVC: Track at low or medium mission impact; Track or Attend at high (mission-essential systems).Action: A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high. - EPSS PROB
- 1.6%
- EPSS %ILE
- 74th
- KEV
- Not listed
CISA SSVCTrack at low or medium mission impact; Track or Attend at high (mission-essential systems).
A fix is available. Apply it within your standard update timelines at low or medium mission impact and sooner than that at high.
Exploitation none (no KEV listing, exploit record or EPSS ≥ 50%) · Automatable unknown (not published for this CVE) · Technical impact partial (CVSS below 9.0). Mission impact is CISA's Mission & Well-being decision point, and only you can judge it: high means the affected system is essential to your organisation's mission, or its compromise could cause irreversible harm to people. CISA's decision table
Published
November 23, 2021
Last Modified
November 21, 2024
References (10)
- security-advisories@githubhttps://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/commit/91f2bd090
- security-advisories@githubhttps://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/releases/tag/v1.47.1
- security-advisories@githubhttps://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/security/advisories/GHSA-3hfw-x7gx-437c
- security-advisories@githubhttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/EU7QRE55U4IUEDLKT5IYPWL3UXMELFAS/
- security-advisories@githubhttps://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/N3WY56LCEZ4ZECLWV5KMAXF2PSMUB4F2/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/commit/91f2bd090
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/releases/tag/v1.47.1
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/security/advisories/GHSA-3hfw-x7gx-437c
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/EU7QRE55U4IUEDLKT5IYPWL3UXMELFAS/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/N3WY56LCEZ4ZECLWV5KMAXF2PSMUB4F2/
Affected Packages
(2 across 2 ecosystems)
Debian:14(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fix by version range | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| matrix-synapse | 0.19.2+dfsg-3 ... 1.9.1-1~bpo10+1 (199 versions) |
| — |
PyPI(1)
| Package | Vulnerable range | Fix by version range | Dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| matrix-synapse | 0.33.5 ... 1.9.1 (218 versions) |
| — |
Weakness Classification(1)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 8× in last 7d / 32× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
Showing the most recent 100 of 185 total refreshes for this CVE.
- 2026-10-09 20:25 UTCOSV refresh
- 2026-10-09 20:04 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-09-20 04:05 UTCOSV refresh
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- 2026-07-30 18:51 UTCOSV refresh
- 2026-07-30 16:25 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-07-23 02:04 UTCEG score recompute
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- 2026-07-22 14:06 UTCEPSS rescore
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Related CVEs(same product + same CWE)
Same product
10 shownDebian:14:matrix-synapse
Same CWE
10 shownCWE-22
- CVE-2021-43775EG 8.6HIGH
- CVE-2021-43778EG 9.1EPSS p99CRITICAL
- CVE-2021-42727NVD 7.8EG 8.0EPSS p99HIGH
- CVE-2021-38146EG 7.5EPSS p96HIGH
- CVE-2021-41279EG 7.7HIGH
- CVE-2021-43555NVD 7.3EG 8.0EPSS p99HIGH
- CVE-2021-37938EG 4.3MEDIUM
- CVE-2021-43691EG 9.8CRITICAL
- CVE-2021-43783EG 8.5HIGH
- CVE-2021-43788EG 5.0EPSS p98MEDIUM
Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2021-41281?
When was CVE-2021-41281 disclosed?
Is CVE-2021-41281 actively exploited?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-41281?
How do I remediate CVE-2021-41281?
Dependency Blast Radius
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