CVE-2021-37976
Missing Authorization in Inappropriate implementation in Memory in Google Chrome prior to 94
Executive Summary
CVE-2021-37976 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting api-security. It is classified as Missing Authorization. This vulnerability is actively being exploited in the wild.
Precogs AI Insight
"An inappropriate implementation in Google Chrome's Memory component leads to information disclosure. Attackers host malicious pages to bypass site isolation and read sensitive memory from other origins. Precogs Application Security Module tracks memory permission scopes to detect bypasses."
What is this vulnerability?
CVE-2021-37976 is categorized as a medium Missing Authorization flaw with a CVSS base score of 6.5. Based on our vulnerability intelligence, this issue occurs when the application fails to securely handle untrusted data boundaries.
Inappropriate implementation in Memory in Google Chrome prior to 94.0.4606.71 allowed a remote attacker to obtain potentially sensitive information from process memory via a crafted HTML page.
This architectural defect enables adversaries to bypass intended security controls, directly manipulating the application's execution state or data layer. Immediate strategic intervention is required.
Risk Assessment
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| CVSS Base Score | 6.5 (MEDIUM) |
| Vector String | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
| Published | October 8, 2021 |
| Last Modified | October 24, 2025 |
| Related CWEs | CWE-862, CWE-862 |
Impact on Systems
✅ Unauthorized Data Access: Attackers can bypass authorization controls to access other users' data or administrative endpoints.
✅ Account Takeover: Broken authentication or authorization may enable full account compromise without valid credentials.
✅ API Abuse: Exploiting this vulnerability enables mass data harvesting or destructive operations through unprotected API endpoints.
How to Fix and Mitigate CVE-2021-37976
- Apply Vendor Patches Immediately: This vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Verify Patch Deployment: Confirm all instances are updated using Precogs continuous monitoring.
- Review Audit Logs: Investigate historical access logs for indicators of compromise related to this attack surface.
- Implement Defense-in-Depth: Deploy WAF rules, network segmentation, and endpoint detection to limit blast radius.
Defending with Precogs AI
An inappropriate implementation in Google Chrome's Memory component leads to information disclosure. Attackers host malicious pages to bypass site isolation and read sensitive memory from other origins. Precogs Application Security Module tracks memory permission scopes to detect bypasses.
Use Precogs to continuously scan your codebase, binaries, APIs, and infrastructure for this vulnerability class and related attack patterns. Our AI-powered detection engine combines static analysis with threat intelligence to identify exploitable weaknesses before attackers do.
Vulnerability Code Signature
Attack Data Flow
| Stage | Detail |
|---|---|
| Source | API Endpoint (REST/GraphQL) |
| Vector | Missing or flawed authorization checks on the requested resource |
| Sink | Direct interaction with database or internal microservice |
| Impact | Unauthorized data access, BOLA/IDOR, Account Takeover |
Vulnerable Code Pattern
// ❌ VULNERABLE: Missing Authorization (BOLA)
app.get('/api/users/:id/data', async (req, res) => {
const userId = req.params.id;
// Taint sink: fetches data for requested ID without verifying ownership
const data = await db.getUserData(userId);
res.json(data);
});
Secure Code Pattern
// ✅ SECURE: Strict Resource Authorization
app.get('/api/users/:id/data', requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
const requestedId = req.params.id;
const authenticatedId = req.user.id;
// Sanitized validation: check ownership
if (requestedId !== authenticatedId && !req.user.isAdmin) {
return res.status(403).json({ error: "Unauthorized access" });
}
const data = await db.getUserData(requestedId);
res.json(data);
});
How Precogs Detects This
Precogs API Security Engine comprehensively audits all exposed endpoints to guarantee strict session validation and resource authorization.\n