`CVE-2021-29428` Gradle

Affected software	Gradle
Severity	8.8 High CVSS 3.1 3 scores
Weakness	CWE-378
Published	13 Apr 2021
Updated	8 Oct 2026

Description

In Gradle before version 7.0, on Unix-like systems, the system temporary directory can be created with open permissions that allow multiple users to create and delete files within it. Gradle builds could be vulnerable to a local privilege escalation from an attacker quickly deleting and recreating files in the system temporary directory. This vulnerability impacted builds using precompiled script plugins written in Kotlin DSL and tests for Gradle plugins written using ProjectBuilder or TestKit. If you are on Windows or modern versions of macOS, you are not vulnerable. If you are on a Unix-like operating system with the "sticky" bit set on your system temporary directory, you are not vulnerable. The problem has been patched and released with Gradle 7.0. As a workaround, on Unix-like operating systems, ensure that the "sticky" bit is set. This only allows the original user (or root) to delete a file. If you are unable to change the permissions of the system temporary directory, you can move the Java temporary directory by setting the System Property java.io.tmpdir. The new path needs to limit permissions to the build user only. For additional details refer to the referenced GitHub Security Advisory.

CWE-379

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 exploitation: none
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 0.54% 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: gradle/gradle #15240.

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.
Candidate fix	https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/15240 : a pull request: the change under review

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.

Candidate fix

https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/15240 : a pull request: the change under review

CVSS

8.8 HIGH v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H 3 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 8.8 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H security-advisories@github.com Secondary published

CVSS 3.1 7.8 HIGH CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H NVD Primary

CVSS 2.0 4.4 none AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P NVD Primary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	8.8	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`	security-advisories@github.com	Secondary	published
CVSS 3.1	7.8	HIGH	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	NVD	Primary
CVSS 2.0	4.4	none	`AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`	NVD	Primary

Affected software and releases

Oracle advisories

Advisory	Type	Quarter	Products Oracle names in its risk matrix
Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2025 ↗	CPU	2025-Q1	Oracle Siebel CRM / Open UI (Gradle) (24.11 and prior)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2025 ↗

CPU

2025-Q1

Oracle Siebel CRM / Open UI (Gradle) (24.11 and prior)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Siebel CRM	Open UI (Gradle)	24.11 and prior

Family

Component

Versions, as Oracle lists them

Read as

Oracle Siebel CRM

Open UI (Gradle)

24.11 and prior

Products and versions

2 products, 2 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	gradle	gradle	generic	＜ 7.0
nvd	quarkus	quarkus	generic	≤ 2.2.3

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

gradle

generic

＜ 7.0

nvd

quarkus

generic

≤ 2.2.3

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/15240	pr
https://docs.gradle.org/7.0/release-notes.html#security-advisories	Release Notes, Vendor Advisory
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/15654	Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/security/advisories/GHSA-89qm-pxvm-p336	Exploit, Third Party Advisory

URL

Timeline

Published	2021-04-13	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-10-08	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2021-04-13

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-10-08

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

How VRT decided (19 of 24 rules ran)

19 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 no match 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 no match An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

11 known-cpe-product matched In scope Matches known products: quarkus/quarkus

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 matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (pr tier): https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/15240

18 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

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 no match Severity is HIGH — only MEDIUM/LOW are deprioritized

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

gradle gradle not tracked cpe:2.3:a:gradle:gradle:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

quarkus quarkus tracked cpe:2.3:a:quarkus:quarkus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

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