CVE-2021-46946 - Understand Why This Vulnerability Was Rejected

When you’re hunting for cybersecurity CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), sometimes you’ll bump into IDs like CVE-2021-46946 and wonder what dangerous flaw it might describe. But then you find it got rejected or withdrawn—leaving you confused about what's really going on. In this article, let’s break down what happened with CVE-2021-46946, what a CVE rejection means, and where you can find more about the official status.

What is CVE-2021-46946?

CVE-2021-46946 is a unique identifier that was reserved for a possible vulnerability, but it now officially comes with this explanation:

> REJECTED: This CVE ID has been rejected or withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority. No information is provided for this CVE ID. Notes: None.

So, if you’re searching for technical details or patches, you just won’t find them—because CVE-2021-46946 does NOT describe a real or public vulnerability.

There are several reasons a CVE might be rejected

- Mistaken Submission: Sometimes vendors or security teams reserve a CVE before confirming a bug actually exists.

Lack of Evidence: Further investigation might show there’s no real vulnerability.

The CVE Numbering Authority (CNA) is responsible for reviewing and, if necessary, withdrawing the CVE—leaving only a placeholder note.

You can confirm the status of CVE-2021-46946 at these official links

- CVE.org: https://cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-46946
- NIST National Vulnerability Database: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46946

Here’s a screenshot of what you might see on the official CVE page

CVE-2021-46946
 REJECTED 
Reason: This candidate was withdrawn by its CVE Numbering Authority. Notes: None

Did Anybody Attempt to Exploit CVE-2021-46946?

Since the CVE has been rejected, there isn’t—and never was—an exploit, public proof-of-concept, or even a vulnerable software version tied to this identifier. It was reserved in the CVE list, but no exploit code has ever been published.

You might find “placeholder” code snippets like this in exploit databases, but these are completely generic and don’t relate to any real-world flaw:

# CVE-2021-46946 Placeholder
def vulnerable_function():
    # This does not represent a real vulnerability
    pass

If you find reports, proof-of-concept code, or scripts online that claim to exploit CVE-2021-46946, they are either fake, copy-paste clickbait, or a misunderstanding.

Lesson: Rejected CVEs and Information Security Hygiene

It’s important as a security researcher, sysadmin, or even a developer to double-check the status of a CVE before acting. Sometimes automated scanners, feeds, or scripts may list rejected or reserved CVEs as “critical vulnerabilities,” causing confusion and wasted effort.

Best Practice:
Whenever you see a CVE you’re unfamiliar with—always cross-reference it at cve.org. If it’s marked as REJECTED or RESERVED, there’s nothing to patch or worry about.

Always check official sources to avoid confusion and wasted time.

If you want to learn how CVEs are managed and what a CVE rejection looks like, see these official resources:

- CVE List Search
- How to Read a CVE Record
- CVE Assignment and Workflow

Timeline

Published on: 02/27/2024 19:04:06 UTC
Last modified on: 03/08/2024 10:15:45 UTC