# CVE-2021-28235: Etcd-io Improper Authentication vulnerability

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2021-28235-etcd-io-improper-authentication-vulnerability  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2023-04-04  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2021-28235 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2023-04-04

Etcd-io Improper Authentication vulnerability

Technologies: [go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (Go)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/go-etcd-io-etcd-v3). Vendors: [Go](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/go).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2021-28235 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2021-28235 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2021-28235?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 4 April 2023.

**Which products and versions are affected?** go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (Go). The advisory does not name versions.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2021-28235?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**Am I affected by CVE-2021-28235?** Check whether you run go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (Go). Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Affected products

- go.etcd.io/etcd/v3 (Go)

## Identifiers

- CVE-2021-28235
- GHSA-gmph-wf7j-9gcm

## Related threats

- [etcd TLS listener denial of service via connection exhaustion](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73500-etcd-tls-listener-denial-of-service-via-connection-exhaustion)
- [etcd authorization bypass in Watch gRPC API](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-73499-etcd-authorization-bypass-in-watch-grpc-api)
- [etcd RBAC authorization bypass in transaction operations](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-44283-etcd-rbac-authorization-bypass-in-transaction-operations)
- [GO-2026-4808 - Nested etcd transactions bypass RBAC authorization checks in go.etcd.io/etcd](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-33343-etcd-nested-etcd-transactions-bypass-rbac-authorization-checks)
- [GO-2026-4806 - Authorization bypasses in multiple APIs in go.etcd.io/etcd](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-33413-etcd-authorization-bypasses-in-multiple-apis)