CVE-2021-41277
CVE-2021-41277 is a security flaw in Metabase. Attackers can read files on Metabase that should be out of reach. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 12 Nov 2024.[1]
Metabase is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Metabase has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a geoJSON API local file inclusion in Metabase Metabase. In its words: “Metabase contains a local file inclusion vulnerability in the custom map support in the API to read GeoJSON formatted data.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Metabase is an open source data analytics platform. In affected versions a security issue has been discovered with the custom GeoJSON map (`admin->settings->maps->custom maps->add a map`) support and potential local file inclusion (including environment variables). URLs were not validated prior to being loaded. This issue is fixed in a new maintenance release (0.40.5 and 1.40.5), and any subsequent release after that. If you’re unable to upgrade immediately, you can mitigate this by including rules in your reverse proxy or load balancer or WAF to provide a validation filter before the application.”[2]
The underlying weakness is information exposure (CWE-200), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 7.5 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Metabase’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Metabase Metabase.
Most families won’t have Metabase; it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 12 Nov 2024, 1,091 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 3 Dec 2024 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 97%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Metabase has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Metabase is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 3 Dec 2024 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.5.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 97%.[4] |
See also
Other Metabase flaws
- CVE-2026-72898: SQL injection ·
Other information exposure flaws
- CVE-2025-68686, Fortinet FortiOS: exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor ·
- CVE-2026-20133, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager: exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor ·
- CVE-2025-31125, Vitejs: improper access control ·
- CVE-2026-20805, Microsoft Windows: information disclosure ·
- CVE-2024-24919, Check Point Quantum Security Gateways: information disclosure ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2024-49039, Microsoft Windows: task scheduler privilege escalation ·
- CVE-2024-43451, Microsoft Windows: nTLMv2 hash disclosure spoofing ·
- CVE-2021-26086, Atlassian Jira Server and Data Center: path traversal ·
- CVE-2014-2120, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA): cross-site scripting (XSS) ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Metabase GeoJSON API Local File Inclusion Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 12 Nov 2024.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2021-41277 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 17 Nov 2021.
- ^ Metabase. Advisories and fixes: github.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.972, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2021-41277”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.