Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-45716 affects the Rust rusqlite library. Certain 0.25.x and 0.26.x versions contain a use-after-free in create_collation. Business risk depends on whether your software uses affected rusqlite versions and custom SQLite collations. Public sources provide no CVSS score and no confirmed exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a focused dependency remediation item, not an emergency based on current evidence. Prioritize systems where rusqlite is used in production and custom collation code is present, then update through normal patch governance.
Technical view
The issue is a use-after-free in rusqlite create_collation for 0.25.x before 0.25.4 and 0.26.x before 0.26.2. Affected applications may encounter unsafe memory behavior in code paths using that API. The provided sources do not include CWE, CVSS, exploit details, or broader affected product claims.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely in Rust applications, services, or tools that depend on rusqlite 0.25.x or 0.26.x and invoke create_collation. Transitive dependency use should also be checked. Systems not using rusqlite, or using fixed versions, are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is reported in the provided sources, and the CVE is not listed as KEV in the bundle. The sources identify the bug class and fixed version boundaries but do not describe exploitability, prerequisites, or observed attacks.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE description and RustSec references. The key research task is confirming whether create_collation is reachable in affected builds. Do not assume remote exploitability or product-level exposure without application-specific analysis.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade rusqlite 0.25.x to 0.25.4 or later.
- Upgrade rusqlite 0.26.x to 0.26.2 or later.
- Review vendor and RustSec guidance before selecting alternate mitigations.
- Prioritize applications that register custom SQLite collations.
Validation and detection
- Review dependency lockfiles for rusqlite 0.25.x or 0.26.x.
- Confirm deployed artifacts use rusqlite 0.25.4, 0.26.2, or later.
- Search application code for create_collation usage.
- Check software bills of materials for transitive rusqlite exposure.
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.
CVE-2021-45716 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
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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 and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://rustsec.org/advisories/RUSTSEC-2021-0128.htmlCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rustsec/advisory-db/main/crates/rusqlite/RUSTSEC-2021-0128.mdCVE 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.