What it is
CVE-2021-38154 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250. Certain Canon devices manufactured in 2012 through 2020 (such as imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250), when Catwalk...
Vulnerability report
Exploited in the wild
High confidence
Not in CISA KEV
CVE-2021-38154
imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250
Canon / imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250
- Severity
- CVSS 7.5 · High
- Confidence
- High
- Exploit status
- Exploited in the wild
- EPSS
- 4.0%
- First observed
- —
- Last observed
- —
Decision summary
What security teams need to know first
Direct answers before the deeper technical record.
Is it exploited?
Yes. KEV Intelligence tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is high.
Who is affected?
Canon / imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250.
What should we do?
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
Overview
imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250
Certain Canon devices manufactured in 2012 through 2020 (such as imageRUNNER ADVANCE iR-ADV C5250), when Catwalk Server is enabled for HTTP access, allow remote attackers to modify an e-mail address setting, and thus cause the device to send sensitive information through e-mail to the attacker. For example, an incoming FAX may be sent through e-mail to the attacker.
This occurs when a PIN is not required for General User Mode, as exploited in the wild in August 2021.
- Published
- 29 Aug 2021
- Exploitation Reported
- 29 Aug 2021
- Attack vector
- Remote
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
Tags
nuclei_scanner
CVE References
- CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38154
- usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/product-advi... usa.canon.com · CVE Record https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/product-adv...
- protocolpolice.nl/CVE-2021-38154_Protocol_Police_Catwalk_Alert protocolpolice.nl · CVE Record https://protocolpolice.nl/CVE-2021-38154_Protocol_Police_Catwalk_Alert
Exploitation evidence
Why KEV Intelligence marks this CVE as exploited
Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.
Exploited in the wild
CVE
Independent exploitation attestation added to the KEV Intelligence record.
Proof of concept available
Nuclei Templates
Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.
Known exploited vulnerability sources
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEV Intelligence Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CVE First | 2021-08-29 04:59 UTC |
| The Shadowserver | 2026-06-04 00:00 UTC |
Detection
Operational artifacts and observed signals
Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.
Observed signals
- Request targets
- 0
- User-Agents
- 0
Raw values available in Pro and Enterprise.
Scanner coverage
Nuclei template detected 01 Jun 2026.
View Nuclei template (opens in new tab)Virtual patch status
No KEV Intelligence virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.
Learn about virtual patches →Scanner Artifacts
Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-38154.yaml | 01 Jun 2026 |
Risk and context
Severity, weaknesses, and research context
CVSS v3.1
7.5
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS
4.0%
All CVSS Scores
CVSS v3.1
7.5
High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
CVSS v2.0
4.3
Medium
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
Canon Devices - Authentication Bypass in Catwalk Server
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
From disclosure to observed exploitation
-
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
KEV confirmed by The Shadowserver
Exploitation attested by an external source
-
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
Added to KEV Intelligence KEV Feed
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
-
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Pro API
Automate this intelligence
Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
- Evidence confidence and provenance
- First-party sensor telemetry
- PoC and scanner references
- Affected versions and enrichment
- Automation-ready JSON delivery
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2021-38154
Free JSON includes basic KEV fields{
"cve_id": "CVE-2021-38154",
"confidence": "High",
"cvss_score": 7.5,
"cvss_estimated": false,
"epss_score": 0.04,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}Early warning alerts
Get alerts on high-impact exploitation
Receive curator-selected alerts when exploitation activity warrants attention. Each alert includes the evidence and context needed to decide what requires attention now.