Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw affects Google-oauth-java-client token validation. The ID token verifier did not properly confirm that a token was signed by the trusted provider, so a crafted or compromised token with attacker-controlled claims could be accepted by client-side validation.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority for systems using this library in authentication. It affects trust in identity tokens and can impact confidentiality and integrity, but current supplied evidence does not show known active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2021-22573 is CWE-347 in Google-oauth-java-client. The IDToken verifier failed to verify token signatures, undermining issuer authenticity and allowing custom payloads to pass validation. Sources recommend upgrading to version 1.33.3 or later. CVSS 3.1 score is 8.7 high.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely in Java applications using Google-oauth-java-client for ID token verification, especially authentication or identity flows. The source bundle does not provide exact affected version ranges beyond recommending 1.33.3 or later.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is stated in the supplied sources, and the CVE is not marked KEV. Practical impact depends on whether the application trusts ID token claims for login, authorization, identity linking, or account decisions.
Researcher notes
The key issue is missing signature verification in IDToken validation. CVSS indicates network attack vector, low complexity, user interaction, changed scope, and high confidentiality/integrity impact. Evidence is limited on exact vulnerable versions and exploit activity.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Google-oauth-java-client to version 1.33.3 or later.
- Check vendor guidance and the referenced pull request for fix context.
- Inventory direct and transitive uses of Google-oauth-java-client.
- Retest login and token-validation flows after upgrading.
- Review any authorization decisions based on ID token claims.
Validation and detection
- Confirm deployed dependency versions are 1.33.3 or later.
- Identify code paths using IDToken verifier for authentication.
- Verify tests cover rejection of improperly signed tokens.
- Review logs for suspicious identity-claim mismatches where available.
- Confirm production artifacts match the remediated dependency version.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-347: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCredential and access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references authentication or credential exposure, so valid-account and credential-access review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-22573 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N2.35.8Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.7HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/googleapis/google-oauth-java-client/pull/872CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.