`CVE-2021-26272` CKEditor

Affected software	CKEditor
Severity	6.5 Medium CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Weakness	CWE-829
Published	26 Jan 2021
Updated	25 Aug 2026

Description

It was possible to execute a ReDoS-type attack inside CKEditor 4 before 4.16 by persuading a victim to paste crafted URL-like text into the editor, and then press Enter or Space (in the Autolink plugin).

Exploitation status

No public exploit

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. Published 5 years ago.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment no assessment published
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 2.4% chance in 30 days

Waratek protection

Outside Waratek scope

A Java vulnerability, but not one Waratek protects. It affects only Java on a user's desktop (applets, Web Start, JavaFX, the installer), sits in a product the Waratek agent can't be installed into, or is in a package we don't expect in business applications. The decision below says which.

Protection none
Action not pursued none
Review human Researcher
Record active

Decided by	Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset
Finding	A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

Decided by

Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

Finding

A manual classification set this CVE's status to Outside Waratek scope, but the CVE names a tracked product.

CVSS

6.5 MEDIUM v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H 2 metrics

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 6.5 MEDIUM CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 2.0 4.3 none AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	6.5	MEDIUM	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 2.0	4.3	none	`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Oracle advisories

Advisory	Type	Quarter	Products Oracle names in its risk matrix
Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021 ↗	CPU	2021-Q4	Oracle Database Server / Oracle Application Express (CKEditor) (Prior to 21.1.0) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Model Governance (CKEditor) (8.0.8.0.0-8.1.0.0.0) Oracle Fusion Middleware / WebCenter Sites (CKEditor) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0) Oracle JD Edwards / Web Runtime (CKEditor) (Prior to 9.2.6.0) Oracle Siebel CRM / Open UI (CKEditor) (21.9 and prior)
Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 ↗	CPU	2021-Q3	Oracle Commerce / Experience Manager, Business Control Center (CKEditor) (11.1.0, 11.2.0, 11.3.0-11.3.2) Oracle Supply Chain / Security (CKEditor) (9.3.5, 9.3.6)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q4

Oracle Database Server / Oracle Application Express (CKEditor) (Prior to 21.1.0)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Model Governance (CKEditor) (8.0.8.0.0-8.1.0.0.0)
Oracle Fusion Middleware / WebCenter Sites (CKEditor) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0)
Oracle JD Edwards / Web Runtime (CKEditor) (Prior to 9.2.6.0)
Oracle Siebel CRM / Open UI (CKEditor) (21.9 and prior)

Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q3

Oracle Commerce / Experience Manager, Business Control Center (CKEditor) (11.1.0, 11.2.0, 11.3.0-11.3.2)
Oracle Supply Chain / Security (CKEditor) (9.3.5, 9.3.6)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Commerce	Experience Manager, Business Control Center (CKEditor)	11.1.0, 11.2.0, 11.3.0-11.3.2	11.1.0 · 11.2.0
Oracle Database Server	Oracle Application Express (CKEditor)	Prior to 21.1.0
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Model Governance (CKEditor)	8.0.8.0.0-8.1.0.0.0
Oracle Fusion Middleware	WebCenter Sites (CKEditor)	12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0
Oracle JD Edwards	Web Runtime (CKEditor)	Prior to 9.2.6.0
Oracle Siebel CRM	Open UI (CKEditor)	21.9 and prior
Oracle Supply Chain	Security (CKEditor)	9.3.5, 9.3.6	9.3.5 · 9.3.6

Family

Component

Versions, as Oracle lists them

Read as

Oracle Commerce

Experience Manager, Business Control Center (CKEditor)

11.1.0, 11.2.0, 11.3.0-11.3.2

11.1.0 · 11.2.0

Oracle Database Server

Oracle Application Express (CKEditor)

Prior to 21.1.0

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Model Governance (CKEditor)

8.0.8.0.0-8.1.0.0.0

Oracle Fusion Middleware

WebCenter Sites (CKEditor)

12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Oracle JD Edwards

Web Runtime (CKEditor)

Prior to 9.2.6.0

Oracle Siebel CRM

Open UI (CKEditor)

21.9 and prior

Oracle Supply Chain

Security (CKEditor)

9.3.5, 9.3.6

9.3.5 · 9.3.6

Products and versions

10 products, 16 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	ckeditor	ckeditor	generic	≥ 4.0 and ＜ 4.16
nvd	oracle	agile product lifecycle management	generic	9.3.5 · 9.3.6
nvd	oracle	application express	generic	＜ 21.1.0
nvd	oracle	banking party management	generic	2.7.0
nvd	oracle	commerce merchandising	generic	11.1.0 · 11.2.0 · ≥ 11.3.0 and ≤ 11.3.2
nvd	oracle	financial services analytical applications infrastructure	generic	≥ 8.0.6 and ≤ 8.0.9 · 8.1.0 · 8.1.1
nvd	oracle	financial services model management and governance	generic	≥ 8.0.8.0.0 and ≤ 8.1.0.0.0
nvd	oracle	jd edwards enterpriseone tools	generic	＜ 9.2.6.0
nvd	oracle	siebel ui framework	generic	≤ 21.9
nvd	oracle	webcenter sites	generic	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

ckeditor

generic

≥ 4.0 and ＜ 4.16

nvd

oracle

agile product lifecycle management

generic

9.3.5 · 9.3.6

nvd

oracle

application express

generic

＜ 21.1.0

nvd

oracle

banking party management

generic

2.7.0

nvd

oracle

commerce merchandising

generic

11.1.0 · 11.2.0 · ≥ 11.3.0 and ≤ 11.3.2

nvd

oracle

financial services analytical applications infrastructure

generic

≥ 8.0.6 and ≤ 8.0.9 · 8.1.0 · 8.1.1

nvd

oracle

financial services model management and governance

generic

≥ 8.0.8.0.0 and ≤ 8.1.0.0.0

nvd

oracle

jd edwards enterpriseone tools

generic

＜ 9.2.6.0

nvd

oracle

siebel ui framework

generic

≤ 21.9

nvd

oracle

webcenter sites

generic

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Earlier manual review

A reviewer classified this CVE in an older dataset. We kept the labels and products below, but not the reviewer's reasoning.

## Manual Classification Context **Labels:** HTTP, SECURITY (CKEDITOR), WEB RUNTIME (CKEDITOR), BUSINESS CONTROL CENTER (CKEDITOR), OPEN UI (CKEDITOR), WEBCENTER SITES (CKEDITOR), MODEL GOVERNANCE (CKEDITOR), EXPERIENCE MANAGER, NO AUTH REMOTE EXPLOIT **Products:** ORACLE FINANCIAL SERVICES MODEL MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE, ORACLE COMMERCE, ORACLE APPLICATION EXPRESS (CKEDITOR), SIEBEL UI FRAMEWORK, ORACLE FUSION MIDDLEWARE, ORACLE SIEBEL CRM, ORACLE FINANCIAL SERVICES APPLICATIONS, ORACLE SUPPLY CHAIN, ORACLE DATABASE SERVER, ORACLE COMMERCE MERCHANDISING, ORACLE AGILE PLM, ORACLE JD EDWARDS, ORACLE WEBCENTER SITES, JD EDWARDS ENTERPRISEONE TOOLS

References

URL	Tags
https://ckeditor.com/blog/CKEditor-4.16-with-improved-image-pasting-High-Contrast-support-and-a-new-color-API/#security-comes-first	Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor4/blob/major/CHANGES.md#ckeditor-416	Release Notes, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html	Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html	Not Applicable, Third Party Advisory
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html	Patch, Third Party Advisory

URL

Timeline

Published	2021-01-26	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-08-25	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2021-01-26

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-08-25

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

How VRT decided (5 of 24 rules ran)

5 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

2 armr-patch-file no match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification decided it matched Outside Waratek scope Found in legacy manual classifications

6 non-java-upstream not reached A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component not reached The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side not reached Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven not reached An OSV.dev record of this CVE affecting a package published to Maven Central. When every such package is one business applications do not use (Minecraft mods and launchers, Fastjson) and no tracked product is named by CPE, it settles the CVE as Outside Waratek scope instead

10 cna-maven-package not reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product not reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

12 cna-cpe-product not reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

13 oracle-advisory-family not reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

15 non-deployable-product not reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

16 unmatched-product not reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint not reached A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven not reached The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

19 poc-derivable not reached An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit not reached Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match not reached A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc not reached Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold not reached Medium or Low severity, no CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

24 no-exploit-published not reached Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗