`CVE-2021-31812` Apache PDFBox

Affected software	Apache PDFBox
Severity	5.5 Medium CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Fixed in	`2.0.24`
Weakness	CWE-834
Published	12 Jun 2021
Updated	17 Jun 2026

Description

In Apache PDFBox, a carefully crafted PDF file can trigger an infinite loop while loading the file. This issue affects Apache PDFBox version 2.0.23 and prior 2.0.x versions.

CWE-835

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 3.1% 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.

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 January 2023 ↗	CPU	2023-Q1	Oracle Fusion Middleware / WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFBox) (12.2.1.4.0)
Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2022 ↗	CPU	2022-Q3	Oracle Siebel CRM / Smart Answer (Apache PDFBox) (22.6 and prior)
Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗	CPU	2022-Q2	Oracle Financial Services Applications / Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox) (14.0-14.3, 14.5) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox) (14.5) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox) (14.5) Oracle Fusion Middleware / Security Framework (Apache PDFbox) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0) Oracle Hyperion / Installation and Configuration (Apache PDFbox) (Prior to 11.2.8.0) Oracle Retail Applications / Xstore Office (Apache PDFbox) (16.0.6, 17.0.4, 18.0.3, 19.0.2, 20.0.1)
Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2022 ↗	CPU	2022-Q1	Oracle Retail Applications / Security (Apache PDFbox) (18.1)
Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021 ↗	CPU	2021-Q4	Oracle Communications Applications / Monitoring (Apache PDFBox) (8.1) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Collateral Review (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Lending (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5) Oracle Financial Services Applications / Security (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2023 ↗

CPU

2023-Q1

Oracle Fusion Middleware / WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFBox) (12.2.1.4.0)

Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2022 ↗

CPU

2022-Q3

Oracle Siebel CRM / Smart Answer (Apache PDFBox) (22.6 and prior)

Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022 ↗

CPU

2022-Q2

Oracle Financial Services Applications / Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox) (14.0-14.3, 14.5)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox) (14.5)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox) (14.5)
Oracle Fusion Middleware / Security Framework (Apache PDFbox) (12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0)
Oracle Hyperion / Installation and Configuration (Apache PDFbox) (Prior to 11.2.8.0)
Oracle Retail Applications / Xstore Office (Apache PDFbox) (16.0.6, 17.0.4, 18.0.3, 19.0.2, 20.0.1)

Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2022 ↗

CPU

2022-Q1

Oracle Retail Applications / Security (Apache PDFbox) (18.1)

Oracle Critical Patch Update October 2021 ↗

CPU

2021-Q4

Oracle Communications Applications / Monitoring (Apache PDFBox) (8.1)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Collateral Review (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Lending (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5)
Oracle Financial Services Applications / Security (Apache PDFBox) (14.2, 14.3, 14.5)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Communications Applications	Monitoring (Apache PDFBox)	8.1	8.1
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Collateral Review (Apache PDFBox)	14.2, 14.3, 14.5	14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox)	14.0-14.3, 14.5	14.5
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Lending (Apache PDFBox)	14.2, 14.3, 14.5	14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5
Oracle Financial Services Applications	Security (Apache PDFBox)	14.2, 14.3, 14.5	14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5
Oracle Fusion Middleware	Security Framework (Apache PDFbox)	12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0	12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0
Oracle Fusion Middleware	WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFBox)	12.2.1.4.0	12.2.1.4.0
Oracle Hyperion	Installation and Configuration (Apache PDFbox)	Prior to 11.2.8.0
Oracle Retail Applications	Security (Apache PDFbox)	18.1	18.1
Oracle Retail Applications	Xstore Office (Apache PDFbox)	16.0.6, 17.0.4, 18.0.3, 19.0.2, 20.0.1	16.0.6 · 17.0.4 · 18.0.3 · 19.0.2 · 20.0.1
Oracle Siebel CRM	Smart Answer (Apache PDFBox)	22.6 and prior

Family

Component

Versions, as Oracle lists them

Read as

Oracle Communications Applications

Monitoring (Apache PDFBox)

8.1

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Collateral Review (Apache PDFBox)

14.2, 14.3, 14.5

14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Infrastructure (Apache PDFBox)

14.0-14.3, 14.5

14.5

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Lending (Apache PDFBox)

14.2, 14.3, 14.5

14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5

Oracle Financial Services Applications

Security (Apache PDFBox)

14.2, 14.3, 14.5

14.2 · 14.3 · 14.5

Oracle Fusion Middleware

Security Framework (Apache PDFbox)

12.2.1.3.0, 12.2.1.4.0

12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0

Oracle Fusion Middleware

WebCenter Sites (Apache PDFBox)

12.2.1.4.0

Oracle Hyperion

Installation and Configuration (Apache PDFbox)

Prior to 11.2.8.0

Oracle Retail Applications

Security (Apache PDFbox)

18.1

Oracle Retail Applications

Xstore Office (Apache PDFbox)

16.0.6, 17.0.4, 18.0.3, 19.0.2, 20.0.1

16.0.6 · 17.0.4 · 18.0.3 · 19.0.2 · 20.0.1

Oracle Siebel CRM

Smart Answer (Apache PDFBox)

22.6 and prior

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox 2.0.0 2.0.24 unbounded

org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox-parent 2.0.0 2.0.24 unbounded

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox`	2.0.0	`2.0.24`	unbounded
`org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox-parent`	2.0.0	`2.0.24`	unbounded

Products and versions

9 products, 16 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	pdfbox	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.0.23
nvd	fedoraproject	fedora	generic	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	communications messaging server	generic	8.1
nvd	oracle	retail customer management and segmentation foundation	generic	18.1
osv	org.apache.pdfbox	pdfbox	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ＜ 2.0.24
osv	org.apache.pdfbox	pdfbox-parent	generic	≥ 2.0.0 and ＜ 2.0.24

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

pdfbox

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ≤ 2.0.23

nvd

fedoraproject

fedora

generic

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

communications messaging server

generic

8.1

nvd

oracle

retail customer management and segmentation foundation

generic

18.1

osv

org.apache.pdfbox

pdfbox

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ＜ 2.0.24

osv

org.apache.pdfbox

pdfbox-parent

generic

≥ 2.0.0 and ＜ 2.0.24

References

URL	Tags
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html	WEB
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html	WEB
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html	WEB
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html	WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MDJKJQOMVFDFIDS27OQJXNOYHV2O273D	WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7HHWJRFXZ3PTKLJCOM7WJEYZFKFWMNSV	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rfe26bcaba564deb505c32711ba68df7ec589797dcd96ff3389a8aaba@%3Cnotifications.ofbiz.apache.org%3E	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf251f6c358087107f8c23473468b279d59d50a75db6b4768165c78d3@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re0cacd3fb337cdf8469853913ed2b4ddd8f8bfc52ff0ddbe61c1dfba@%3Ccommits.ofbiz.apache.org%3E	WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd4b6db6c3b8ab3c70f1c3bbd725a40920896453ffc2744ade6afd9fb@%3Cnotifications.ofbiz.apache.org%3E	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2021-06-12	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2021-06-12

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, org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox-parent

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, org.apache.pdfbox:pdfbox-parent). 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 January 2023, Oracle Critical Patch Update July 2022, Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2022, Oracle Critical Patch Update January 2022, Oracle Critical Patch Update October 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:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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 retail_customer_management_and_segmentation_foundation tracked cpe:2.3:a:oracle:retail_customer_management_and_segmentation_foundation:18.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* yaml

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

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