Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Pi-hole Web Interface before 5.5.1 could store unsafe wildcard domain text in blocklists or allowlists. When viewed later in the admin web interface, that stored content could affect an administrator’s browser. This is a moderate-risk issue because it targets admin sessions but requires privileged access and user interaction per the CVSS data.
Executive priority
Treat this as a scheduled but real security update for any managed Pi-hole deployment. It is not currently supported as actively exploited in the provided sources, but it affects administrative browser sessions and has an available patched version.
Technical view
CVE-2021-32793 is a stored cross-site scripting issue, CWE-79, in Pi-hole AdminLTE before 5.5.1. Wildcard domain input added to blocklists or allowlists was not filtered before display. The CVSS 3.1 score is 5.7 with AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Pi-hole Web Interface/AdminLTE deployments below version 5.5.1, especially where the admin interface is reachable and wildcard allowlist or blocklist entries can be added. The source bundle does not provide CPEs, hosting defaults, or evidence of specific internet-wide exposure.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. The recorded attack conditions require high privileges and administrator interaction. The practical concern is persistent client-side impact against administrative accounts after unsafe wildcard domain input is stored.
Researcher notes
The evidence supports stored XSS in wildcard domain handling before AdminLTE 5.5.1. Key uncertainty is deployment-specific exploitability: sources do not describe default exposure, authentication model details beyond CVSS PR:H, or observed attacks. Avoid assuming exploitation without additional telemetry.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Pi-hole Web Interface/AdminLTE to version 5.5.1 or later.
- Review the GitHub advisory and release notes for vendor guidance.
- Limit Pi-hole admin interface access to trusted administrators and networks.
- Review wildcard allowlist and blocklist entries for unexpected content.
- Remove suspicious stored entries after applying the vendor patch.
Validation and detection
- Confirm the installed Pi-hole Web Interface/AdminLTE version is 5.5.1 or later.
- Inventory Pi-hole instances with reachable admin interfaces.
- Check whether wildcard allowlist or blocklist entries were modified by untrusted users.
- Verify admin access is limited to expected accounts and networks.
- Document remediation status for all Pi-hole deployments.
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-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. 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 lookupCVE-2021-32793 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
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:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H0.94.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.7MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/pi-hole/AdminLTE/releases/tag/v5.5.1CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://github.com/pi-hole/AdminLTE/security/advisories/GHSA-g3w6-q4fg-p8x8CVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
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 Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.