CVE-2021-45105
MEDIUMEPSS 100th pctlDescription
Apache Log4j2 versions 2.0-alpha1 through 2.16.0 (excluding 2.12.3 and 2.3.1) did not protect from uncontrolled recursion from self-referential lookups. This allows an attacker with control over Thread Context Map data to cause a denial of service when a crafted string is interpreted. This issue was fixed in Log4j 2.17.0, 2.12.3, and 2.3.1.
How to fix
TridentStack Control can deploy fixes like this automatically across your Windows, macOS, and Linux fleet. See how it works
Remediation is compiled from vendor and distribution security advisories. Always confirm against the linked source for your exact version and platform.
CVSS v3 Vector
Exploitability
Impact
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Exploit Intelligence
Very high risk: more likely to be exploited than 100% of all known CVEs.
References
Related Vulnerabilities
Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities, ordered by exploit likelihood. View all
| CVE | Severity | CVSS | EPSS | Exploited | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-3400 | Critical | 10.0 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | - |
| CVE-2021-44228 | Critical | 10.0 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2021-21985 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2018-7600 | Critical | 9.8 | 100% | KEV + Ransom | Fix |
| CVE-2020-3452 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
| CVE-2018-0296 | High | 7.5 | 100% | KEV | Fix |
Common questions
How do I fix CVE-2021-45105?
Published advisories record a fix for 4 affected products. The "How to fix" section on this page lists the fixed version and source advisory for each one, so apply the entry matching what you actually run.
Is CVE-2021-45105 being actively exploited?
Not that we know of. CVE-2021-45105 is not in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Its EPSS score of 100.0% is the estimated probability that it will be exploited in the next 30 days. That is higher than 100% of all scored CVEs.
How severe is CVE-2021-45105?
CVE-2021-45105 has a CVSS v3 base score of 5.9, rated medium. CVSS rates the technical impact if the vulnerability is exploited, not how likely that is, so weigh it alongside the exploit-prediction score when you decide what to patch first.
What does CVE-2021-45105 affect?
Published advisories record a fix for apache-log4j2 (Debian), apache-log4j2 (Ubuntu), liblog4j2-java (Ubuntu), SQL Developer (Windows application). Only products with a sourced advisory are listed, so treat this as what we can cite rather than a complete inventory.
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This product uses NVD data but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS scores courtesy of FIRST.org (https://www.first.org/epss). Source: CISA KEV Catalog. Data as of 2026-05-29.