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CVE Record

CVE-2021-39365: In GNOME grilo though 0.3.13, grl-net-wc.c does not enable TLS certificate verification on the SoupSessionA...

In GNOME grilo though 0.3.13, grl-net-wc.c does not enable TLS certificate verification on the SoupSessionAsync objects it creates, leaving users vulnerable to network MITM attacks. NOTE: this is similar to CVE-2016-20011.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

GNOME Grilo through 0.3.13 could make HTTPS connections without checking TLS certificates. A person controlling or intercepting the network could potentially impersonate trusted services to affected applications and alter or observe traffic. The sources do not report active exploitation.

Executive priority

Treat this as a moderate-priority trust and interception risk. It is not confirmed as actively exploited, but it can undermine HTTPS protections for affected applications. Prioritize patching managed Linux desktop fleets and any environment where users operate on untrusted networks.

Technical view

The issue is in grl-net-wc.c: SoupSessionAsync objects were created without enabling TLS certificate verification. That weakens HTTPS trust validation and exposes users to network man-in-the-middle attacks. Debian published security updates, but the bundle provides no CVSS score or detailed affected CPE list.

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on systems running GNOME Grilo 0.3.13 or earlier, or distribution packages based on those versions. Debian systems are explicitly covered by DSA-4964 and DLA-2762-1. Actual impact depends on applications using Grilo for network content retrieval.

Exploitation context

No KEV listing and no cited source confirms active exploitation. Practical abuse would require a network-positioned attacker, such as on a hostile Wi-Fi, compromised gateway, or interception path, plus an affected Grilo-using application making HTTPS requests.

Researcher notes

The key evidence is a TLS verification omission in Grilo’s SoupSessionAsync usage. The source bundle lacks CVSS, CPEs, and exploit confirmation. Validate remediation through distribution package metadata and upstream issue context rather than relying on generic version assumptions.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply vendor security updates for Grilo where available.
  • For Debian, follow DSA-4964 or DLA-2762-1 guidance.
  • Inventory systems using GNOME Grilo 0.3.13 or earlier.
  • Check non-Debian distribution guidance before assuming fixed status.
  • Reduce use of affected applications on untrusted networks until updated.

Validation and detection

  • Check installed Grilo package versions against vendor advisory status.
  • Confirm package changelogs reference CVE-2021-39365 or TLS certificate verification fixes.
  • Review SBOMs for applications bundling or depending on Grilo.
  • Verify endpoint inventories include Linux desktop systems, not only servers.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

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.

0CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
5Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/an/an/aListed
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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