CVE-2021-0937 - Understanding Why This “Vulnerability” Was Rejected

If you’re searching for information on CVE-2021-0937, you might have already noticed something strange: a lot of talk, but no real exploit code or vulnerability details. Let's break down exactly what happened with this CVE, why it was rejected, and how CVE rejections work. We'll include code-style examples to illustrate the process, even though there isn’t an actual exploit for this one.

What is CVE-2021-0937?

CVE-2021-0937 is a unique entry in the CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) database. Unlike most CVEs, which describe real security issues in software, this ID was officially rejected by its CVE Numbering Authority (CNA). That means no real vulnerability exists with this identifier.

Official NIST CVE entry

> "REJECT Reason: This CVE ID has been rejected or withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority. Further details about the issue, including causes or impacts, will not be provided."

Why Are CVEs Rejected?

Not every report submitted to the CVE project becomes a published, confirmed vulnerability. Some of the main reasons for rejection are:

It was reported in error.

In the case of CVE-2021-0937, the record contains no technical details or exploit code because it was withheld before publication after the assessors found it unnecessary.

What Might a (Fake) Exploit Have Looked Like?

Just for educational purposes, let’s imagine someone thought they’d found a vulnerability in some Android function, and submitted it for a CVE. Here’s a completely fictional, non-working code snippet for illustration only:

// Example of a phony Android "vulnerability" report
public class InsecureFeature {
    public void doSomething() {
        // Oops! Exposing sensitive info? (But really, it's just an error.)
        String secret = "supersecret";
        Log.d("APP", "Secret: " + secret);
    }
}

In reality, unless this is linked to privilege escalation or some logic flaw, leaking a string to logcat without further context is generally not a security bug.

If someone reported this, the right process would be to investigate—and, if not a true vulnerability, REJECT the CVE.

What’s the Big Deal With a CVE Rejection?

You might wonder why some people still reference rejected CVEs. Sometimes, old scans or reports flag a rejected number. In other cases, security research or compliance teams come across references without context.

Best practice: Always review the official CVE record. For CVE-2021-0937, any security scanner or checklist that lists it is out-of-date and should be corrected.

Here’s a trick to check any CVE’s status quickly

1. Go to https://cve.mitre.org/

Read the “Record” status and the explanation.

If it says REJECT, there’s nothing to worry about.

References

- NIST CVE-2021-0937 Entry
- CVE Program Official Website
- Explaining CVE Statuses

Conclusion

CVE-2021-0937 was not published because no real vulnerability was found.
If you see this CVE ID flagged anywhere, you can safely ignore it or update your records.

Remember, always check primary sources before acting on security scan reports. A rejected CVE means there’s no risk—you’re safe!

Timeline

Published on: 12/05/2024 22:15:19 UTC
Last modified on: 01/17/2025 23:18:25 UTC