`CVE-2021-27906` Apache PDFBox

Affected software	Apache PDFBox
Severity	5.5 Medium CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Fixed in	`2.0.23`
Weakness	CWE-789
Published	19 Mar 2021
Updated	17 Jun 2026

Description

A carefully crafted PDF file can trigger an OutOfMemory-Exception while loading the file. This issue affects Apache PDFBox version 2.0.22 and prior 2.0.x versions.

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 3.3% chance in 30 days

Waratek protection

No exploit published

Within Waratek scope. In the sources we check, nobody has published exploit code for this CVE or reported it being exploited.

A public code fix exists: apache/pdfbox 8c47be1.

Protection none
Action unverified
Review automated Upstream data
Record active

Decided by	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
Finding	This CVE is not listed in CISA KEV or VulnCheck KEV, CISA Vulnrichment records no active exploitation, no reviewed exploit catalogue carries an entry for it, and no GitHub PoC repository for it has 5 or more stars. Nobody has published exploit code worth tracing, so it is not a candidate for a rule ahead of the ones where somebody has; an upstream fix path does exist, so the remediation half of the candidacy still holds. This is a statement about what has been published, not about whether the defect is reachable or serious.

Decided by

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

Finding

This CVE is not listed in CISA KEV or VulnCheck KEV, CISA Vulnrichment records no active exploitation, no reviewed exploit catalogue carries an entry for it, and no GitHub PoC repository for it has 5 or more stars. Nobody has published exploit code worth tracing, so it is not a candidate for a rule ahead of the ones where somebody has; an upstream fix path does exist, so the remediation half of the candidacy still holds. This is a statement about what has been published, not about whether the defect is reachable or serious.

CVSS

5.5 MEDIUM v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 5.5 MEDIUM CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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	5.5	MEDIUM	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 Communications / Reports (Apache PDFBox) (8.0.0.0-8.2.4.0) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Common Core (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Dashboard (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5) Oracle Fusion Middleware / WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFbox) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0) Oracle Hyperion / Server Components (Apache PDFBox) (11.1.2.4, 11.2.6.0) Oracle PeopleSoft / Elastic Search (Apache PDFBox) (8.58, 8.59)
Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 ↗	CPU	2021-Q3	Oracle Construction and Engineering / Core (Apache PDFbox) (17.7-17.12, 18.8, 19.12, 20.12) Oracle Fusion Middleware / Outside In Clean Content SDK (Apache PDFBox) (8.5.5)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q4

Oracle Communications / Reports (Apache PDFBox) (8.0.0.0-8.2.4.0)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Common Core (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Dashboard (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5)
Oracle Fusion Middleware / WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFbox) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0)
Oracle Hyperion / Server Components (Apache PDFBox) (11.1.2.4, 11.2.6.0)
Oracle PeopleSoft / Elastic Search (Apache PDFBox) (8.58, 8.59)

Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q3

Oracle Construction and Engineering / Core (Apache PDFbox) (17.7-17.12, 18.8, 19.12, 20.12)
Oracle Fusion Middleware / Outside In Clean Content SDK (Apache PDFBox) (8.5.5)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Communications	Reports (Apache PDFBox)	8.0.0.0-8.2.4.0
Oracle Construction and Engineering	Core (Apache PDFbox)	17.7-17.12, 18.8, 19.12, 20.12	18.8 · 19.12 · 20.12
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Common Core (Apache PDFBox)	14.2, 14.3, 14.5	14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Dashboard (Apache PDFBox)	14.2, 14.3, 14.5	14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5
Oracle Fusion Middleware	Outside In Clean Content SDK (Apache PDFBox)	8.5.5	8.5.5
Oracle Fusion Middleware	WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFbox)	12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0
Oracle Hyperion	Server Components (Apache PDFBox)	11.1.2.4, 11.2.6.0	11.1.2.4 · 11.2.6.0
Oracle PeopleSoft	Elastic Search (Apache PDFBox)	8.58, 8.59	8.58 · 8.59

Family

Component

Versions, as Oracle lists them

Read as

Oracle Communications

Reports (Apache PDFBox)

8.0.0.0-8.2.4.0

Oracle Construction and Engineering

Core (Apache PDFbox)

17.7-17.12, 18.8, 19.12, 20.12

18.8 · 19.12 · 20.12

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Common Core (Apache PDFBox)

14.2, 14.3, 14.5

14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Dashboard (Apache PDFBox)

14.2, 14.3, 14.5

14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5

Oracle Fusion Middleware

Outside In Clean Content SDK (Apache PDFBox)

8.5.5

Oracle Fusion Middleware

WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFbox)

12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Oracle Hyperion

Server Components (Apache PDFBox)

11.1.2.4, 11.2.6.0

11.1.2.4 · 11.2.6.0

Oracle PeopleSoft

Elastic Search (Apache PDFBox)

8.58, 8.59

8.58 · 8.59

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox 2.0.0 2.0.23 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox`	2.0.0	`2.0.23`	unbounded

Products and versions

20 products, 43 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	pdfbox	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.0.22
nvd	fedoraproject	fedora	generic	32 · 33 · 34
nvd	oracle	banking corporate lending process management	generic	14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0
nvd	oracle	banking credit facilities process management	generic	14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0
nvd	oracle	banking supply chain finance	generic	14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0
nvd	oracle	banking trade finance process management	generic	14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0
nvd	oracle	banking treasury management	generic	14.5
nvd	oracle	banking virtual account management	generic	14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0
nvd	oracle	communications messaging server	generic	8.1
nvd	oracle	communications session report manager	generic	≥ 8.0.0 and ≤ 8.2.4.0
nvd	oracle	flexcube universal banking	generic	≥ 14.0.0 and ≤ 14.3.0 · 14.5.0
nvd	oracle	hyperion financial reporting	generic	11.1.2.4 · 11.2.6.0
nvd	oracle	hyperion infrastructure technology	generic	＜ 11.2.8.0
nvd	oracle	outside in technology	generic	8.5.5
nvd	oracle	peoplesoft enterprise peopletools	generic	8.58 · 8.59
nvd	oracle	primavera unifier	generic	≥ 17.7 and ≤ 17.12 · 18.8 · 19.12 · 20.12
nvd	oracle	retail customer management and segmentation foundation	generic	19.0
nvd	oracle	retail xstore point of service	generic	16.0.6 · 17.0.4 · 18.0.3 · 19.0.2 · 20.0.1
nvd	oracle	webcenter sites	generic	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0
osv	org.apache.pdfbox	pdfbox	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ＜ 2.0.23

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

pdfbox

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.0.22

nvd

fedoraproject

fedora

generic

32 · 33 · 34

nvd

oracle

banking corporate lending process management

generic

14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0

nvd

oracle

banking credit facilities process management

generic

14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0

nvd

oracle

banking supply chain finance

generic

14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0

nvd

oracle

banking trade finance process management

generic

14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0

nvd

oracle

banking treasury management

generic

14.5

nvd

oracle

banking virtual account management

generic

14.2.0 · 14.3.0 · 14.5.0

nvd

oracle

communications messaging server

generic

8.1

nvd

oracle

communications session report manager

generic

≥ 8.0.0 and ≤ 8.2.4.0

nvd

oracle

flexcube universal banking

generic

≥ 14.0.0 and ≤ 14.3.0 · 14.5.0

nvd

oracle

hyperion financial reporting

generic

11.1.2.4 · 11.2.6.0

nvd

oracle

hyperion infrastructure technology

generic

＜ 11.2.8.0

nvd

oracle

outside in technology

generic

8.5.5

nvd

oracle

peoplesoft enterprise peopletools

generic

8.58 · 8.59

nvd

oracle

primavera unifier

generic

≥ 17.7 and ≤ 17.12 · 18.8 · 19.12 · 20.12

nvd

oracle

retail customer management and segmentation foundation

generic

19.0

nvd

oracle

retail xstore point of service

generic

16.0.6 · 17.0.4 · 18.0.3 · 19.0.2 · 20.0.1

nvd

oracle

webcenter sites

generic

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

osv

org.apache.pdfbox

pdfbox

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ＜ 2.0.23

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/apache/pdfbox/commit/8c47be1011c11dc47300faecffd8ab32fba3646f	WEB
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html	WEB
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html	WEB
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html	WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/6PT72QOFDXLJ7PLTN66EMG5EHPTE7TFZ	WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/6KDA2U4KL2N3XT3PM4ZJEBBA6JJIH2G4	WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2AVLKAHFMPH72TTP25INPZPGX5FODK3H	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf35026148ccc0e1af133501c0d003d052883fcc65107b3ff5d3b61cd@%3Cusers.pdfbox.apache.org%3E	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf35026148ccc0e1af133501c0d003d052883fcc65107b3ff5d3b61cd%40%3Cusers.pdfbox.apache.org%3E	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re1e35881482e07dc2be6058d9b44483457f36133cac67956686ad9b9@%3Cnotifications.ofbiz.apache.org%3E	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2021-03-19	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2021-03-19

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

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

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 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 no match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no match 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 no match 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 matched In scope Maven packages: org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox

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 no match A reference pointing at the upstream fix: a commit, a PR, a Red Hat bug

18 open-source-maven matched Mitigation candidate Open-source Maven artifact indexed by OSV (Maven packages: org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox). The source is public, which makes an ARMR patch rule a candidate; nothing here establishes that one can be written.

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped 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 no match A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped 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 withheld CVE ships in Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021, Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2021 (CPU) — Oracle treats it as urgent, so severity does not settle it

24 no-exploit-published decided it matched No exploit published No exploit code has been published, and an upstream fix path does exist, so the remediation half of the candidacy still holds.

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

apache pdfbox tracked cpe:2.3:a:apache:pdfbox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

fedoraproject fedora not tracked cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:32:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

oracle banking_corporate_lending_process_management tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_corporate_lending_process_management:14.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_credit_facilities_process_management tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_credit_facilities_process_management:14.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_supply_chain_finance tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_supply_chain_finance:14.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_trade_finance_process_management tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_trade_finance_process_management:14.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_treasury_management tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_treasury_management:14.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle banking_virtual_account_management tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:banking_virtual_account_management:14.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle communications_session_report_manager tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:communications_session_report_manager:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle flexcube_universal_banking tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:flexcube_universal_banking:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle hyperion_financial_reporting tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:hyperion_financial_reporting:11.1.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle hyperion_infrastructure_technology tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:hyperion_infrastructure_technology:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle outside_in_technology not tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:outside_in_technology:8.5.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

oracle peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:peoplesoft_enterprise_peopletools:8.58:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle primavera_unifier tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:primavera_unifier:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle retail_customer_management_and_segmentation_foundation tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:retail_customer_management_and_segmentation_foundation:19.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle retail_xstore_point_of_service tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:retail_xstore_point_of_service:16.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle webcenter_sites tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:webcenter_sites:12.2.1.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

oracle communications_messaging_server tracked cpe:2.3:o:oracle:communications_messaging_server:8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗