Skip to content
Heist/ feed
Back to feed
Low

Automatic referer leaks credentials

Type: advisorySources: OSV

libcurl does not strip off user credentials from the URL when automatically populating the `Referer:` HTTP request header field in outgoing HTTP requests, and therefore risks leaking sensitive data to the server that is the target of the second HTTP request. libcurl automatically sets the `Referer:` HTTP request header field in outgoing HTTP requests if the `CURLOPT_AUTOREFERER` option is set. With the curl tool, it is enabled with `--referer ";auto"`.

Products
Not specified
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
Not specified
CVEs
CVE-2021-22876
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
1 Nov 2026, 09:38 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

Automatic referer leaks credentials

core-osv · Original source

Published 31 Mar 2021, 08:00 UTC

libcurl does not strip off user credentials from the URL when automatically populating the `Referer:` HTTP request header field in outgoing HTTP requests, and therefore risks leaking sensitive data to the server that is the target of the second HTTP request. libcurl automatically sets the `Referer:` HTTP request header field in outgoing HTTP requests if the `CURLOPT_AUTOREFERER` option is set. With the curl tool, it is enabled with `--referer ";auto"`.

osv:CURL-CVE-2021-22876
Complete source record
{
  "id": "18ae38097487a35ac455b72f668fc82294a869f259514c7a426869e198fc8a00",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CURL-CVE-2021-22876",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "Automatic referer leaks credentials",
    "summary": "libcurl does not strip off user credentials from the URL when automatically populating the `Referer:` HTTP request header field in outgoing HTTP requests, and therefore risks leaking sensitive data to the server that is the target of the second HTTP request. libcurl automatically sets the `Referer:` HTTP request header field in outgoing HTTP requests if the `CURLOPT_AUTOREFERER` option is set. With the curl tool, it is enabled with `--referer \";auto\"`.",
    "evidence": "osv:CURL-CVE-2021-22876",
    "products": [],
    "severity": "low",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CURL-CVE-2021-22876",
      "aliases": [
        "CURL-CVE-2021-22876",
        "CVE-2021-22876"
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "SEMVER",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "7.1.1"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "7.76.0"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "repo": "https://github.com/curl/curl.git",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "f30ffef477636dc10a72eb30590a84a0218e5935"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "7214288898f5625a6cc196e22a74232eada7861c"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "7.75.0",
            "7.74.0",
            "7.73.0",
            "7.72.0",
            "7.71.1",
            "7.71.0",
            "7.70.0",
            "7.69.1",
            "7.69.0",
            "7.68.0",
            "7.67.0",
            "7.66.0",
            "7.65.3",
            "7.65.2",
            "7.65.1",
            "7.65.0",
            "7.64.1",
            "7.64.0",
            "7.63.0",
            "7.62.0",
            "7.61.1",
            "7.61.0",
            "7.60.0",
            "7.59.0",
            "7.58.0",
            "7.57.0",
            "7.56.1",
            "7.56.0",
            "7.55.1",
            "7.55.0",
            "7.54.1",
            "7.54.0",
            "7.53.1",
            "7.53.0",
            "7.52.1",
            "7.52.0",
            "7.51.0",
            "7.50.3",
            "7.50.2",
            "7.50.1",
            "7.50.0",
            "7.49.1",
            "7.49.0",
            "7.48.0",
            "7.47.1",
            "7.47.0",
            "7.46.0",
            "7.45.0",
            "7.44.0",
            "7.43.0",
            "7.42.1",
            "7.42.0",
            "7.41.0",
            "7.40.0",
            "7.39.0",
            "7.38.0",
            "7.37.1",
            "7.37.0",
            "7.36.0",
            "7.35.0",
            "7.34.0",
            "7.33.0",
            "7.32.0",
            "7.31.0",
            "7.30.0",
            "7.29.0",
            "7.28.1",
            "7.28.0",
            "7.27.0",
            "7.26.0",
            "7.25.0",
            "7.24.0",
            "7.23.1",
            "7.23.0",
            "7.22.0",
            "7.21.7",
            "7.21.6",
            "7.21.5",
            "7.21.4",
            "7.21.3",
            "7.21.2",
            "7.21.1",
            "7.21.0",
            "7.20.1",
            "7.20.0",
            "7.19.7",
            "7.19.6",
            "7.19.5",
            "7.19.4",
            "7.19.3",
            "7.19.2",
            "7.19.1",
            "7.19.0",
            "7.18.2",
            "7.18.1",
            "7.18.0",
            "7.17.1",
            "7.17.0",
            "7.16.4",
            "7.16.3",
            "7.16.2",
            "7.16.1",
            "7.16.0",
            "7.15.5",
            "7.15.4",
            "7.15.3",
            "7.15.2",
            "7.15.1",
            "7.15.0",
            "7.14.1",
            "7.14.0",
            "7.13.2",
            "7.13.1",
            "7.13.0",
            "7.12.3",
            "7.12.2",
            "7.12.1",
            "7.12.0",
            "7.11.2",
            "7.11.1",
            "7.11.0",
            "7.10.8",
            "7.10.7",
            "7.10.6",
            "7.10.5",
            "7.10.4",
            "7.10.3",
            "7.10.2",
            "7.10.1",
            "7.10",
            "7.9.8",
            "7.9.7",
            "7.9.6",
            "7.9.5",
            "7.9.4",
            "7.9.3",
            "7.9.2",
            "7.9.1",
            "7.9",
            "7.8.1",
            "7.8",
            "7.7.3",
            "7.7.2",
            "7.7.1",
            "7.7",
            "7.6.1",
            "7.6",
            "7.5.2",
            "7.5.1",
            "7.5",
            "7.4.2",
            "7.4.1",
            "7.4",
            "7.3",
            "7.2.1",
            "7.2",
            "7.1.1",
            "curl-7_75_0",
            "curl-7_74_0",
            "curl-7_73_0",
            "tiny-curl-7_72_0",
            "curl-7_72_0",
            "curl-7_71_1",
            "curl-7_71_0",
            "curl-7_70_0",
            "curl-7_69_1",
            "curl-7_69_0",
            "curl-7_68_0",
            "curl-7_67_0",
            "curl-7_66_0",
            "curl-7_65_3",
            "curl-7_65_2",
            "curl-7_65_1",
            "curl-7_65_0",
            "curl-7_64_1",
            "curl-7_64_0",
            "curl-7_63_0",
            "curl-7_62_0",
            "curl-7_61_1",
            "curl-7_61_0",
            "curl-7_60_0",
            "curl-7_59_0",
            "curl-7_58_0",
            "curl-7_57_0",
            "curl-7_56_1",
            "curl-7_56_0",
            "curl-7_55_1",
            "curl-7_55_0",
            "curl-7_54_1",
            "curl-7_54_0",
            "curl-7_53_1",
            "curl-7_53_0",
            "curl-7_52_1",
            "curl-7_52_0",
            "curl-7_51_0",
            "curl-7_50_3",
            "curl-7_50_2",
            "curl-7_50_1",
            "curl-7_50_0",
            "curl-7_49_1",
            "curl-7_49_0",
            "curl-7_48_0",
            "curl-7_47_1",
            "curl-7_47_0",
            "curl-7_46_0",
            "curl-7_45_0",
            "curl-7_44_0",
            "curl-7_43_0",
            "curl-7_42_1",
            "curl-7_42_0",
            "curl-7_41_0",
            "curl-7_40_0",
            "curl-7_39_0",
            "curl-7_38_0",
            "curl-7_37_1",
            "curl-7_37_0",
            "curl-7_36_0",
            "curl-7_35_0",
            "curl-7_34_0",
            "curl-7_33_0",
            "curl-7_32_0",
            "curl-7_31_0",
            "curl-7_30_0",
            "curl-7_29_0",
            "curl-7_28_1",
            "curl-7_28_0",
            "curl-7_27_0",
            "curl-7_26_0",
            "curl-7_25_0",
            "curl-7_24_0",
            "curl-7_23_1",
            "curl-7_23_0",
            "curl-7_22_0",
            "curl-7_21_7",
            "curl-7_21_6",
            "curl-7_21_5",
            "curl-7_21_4",
            "curl-7_21_3",
            "curl-7_21_2",
            "curl-7_21_1",
            "curl-7_21_0",
            "curl-7_20_1",
            "curl-7_20_0",
            "curl-7_19_7",
            "curl-7_19_6",
            "curl-7_19_5",
            "curl-7_19_4",
            "curl-7_19_3",
            "curl-7_19_2",
            "curl-7_19_1",
            "curl-7_19_0",
            "curl-7_18_2",
            "curl-7_18_1",
            "curl-7_18_0",
            "curl-7_17_1",
            "curl-7_17_0",
            "curl-7_17_0-preldapfix",
            "curl-7_16_4",
            "curl-7_16_3",
            "curl-7_16_2",
            "curl-7_16_1",
            "curl-7_16_0",
            "curl-7_15_6-prepipeline",
            "curl-7_15_5",
            "curl-7_15_4",
            "curl-7_15_3",
            "curl-7_15_2",
            "curl-7_15_1",
            "curl-7_15_0",
            "curl-7_14_1",
            "curl-7_14_0",
            "curl-7_13_2",
            "curl-7_13_1",
            "before_ftp_statemachine",
            "curl-7_13_0",
            "curl-7_12_3",
            "curl-7_12_2",
            "curl-7_12_1",
            "curl-7_12_0",
            "curl-7_11_2",
            "curl-7_11_1",
            "curl-7_11_0",
            "curl-7_10_8",
            "curl-7_10_7",
            "curl-7_10_6",
            "curl-7_10_5",
            "curl-7_10_4",
            "curl-7_10_3",
            "curl-7_10_2",
            "curl-7_10_1",
            "curl-7_10",
            "curl-7_9_8",
            "curl-7_9_7",
            "curl-7_9_7-pre2",
            "curl-7_9_6",
            "curl-7_9_5",
            "curl-7_9_5-pre4",
            "curl-7_9_5-pre2",
            "curl-7_9_4",
            "curl-7_9_3",
            "curl-7_9_3-pre3",
            "curl-7_9_3-pre2",
            "curl-7_9_3-pre1",
            "curl-7_9_2",
            "curl-7_9_1",
            "curl-7_9",
            "before_urldata_rename",
            "curl-7_8_1",
            "curl-7_8_1-pre3",
            "curl-7_8",
            "curl-7_8-pre2",
            "curl-7_7_3",
            "curl-7_7_2",
            "curl-7_7_1",
            "curl-7_7",
            "curl-7_7-beta5",
            "curl-7_7-beta3",
            "curl-7_7-beta2",
            "curl-7_7-beta1",
            "curl-7_7_alpha2",
            "curl-7_6_1",
            "curl-7_6_1-pre3",
            "curl-7_6_1-pre2",
            "curl-7_6_1-pre1",
            "curl-7_6",
            "curl-7_6-pre4",
            "curl_7_6-pre3",
            "curl-7_5_2",
            "curl-7_5",
            "curl-7_4_1",
            "curl-7_3",
            "curl-7_2",
            "curl-7_1_1"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://curl.se/docs/CURL-CVE-2021-22876.json",
            "vanir_signatures": [
              {
                "id": "CURL-CVE-2021-22876-5478abb6",
                "digest": {
                  "threshold": 0.9,
                  "line_hashes": [
                    "228432594559289668158197968302902410149",
                    "240970743308685232172422878968984381962",
                    "34473331516785173692464587878395344737",
                    "292912097740526636201402086627814917455",
                    "183634382012265506857904073131532033",
                    "218585597473098631640913193812215025920",
                    "296238076931962055876196767210907262275",
                    "50558047929775715849818749384495616573",
                    "305750325062974179265662769633931524548",
                    "207042371495921177754160512112573329840"
                  ]
                },
                "source": "https://github.com/curl/curl.git/commit/7214288898f5625a6cc196e22a74232eada7861c",
                "target": {
                  "file": "lib/transfer.c"
                },
                "deprecated": false,
                "signature_type": "Line",
                "signature_version": "v1"
              },
              {
                "id": "CURL-CVE-2021-22876-584f6dd4",
                "digest": {
                  "length": 3402,
                  "function_hash": "22806353787620361724789102913607449117"
                },
                "source": "https://github.com/curl/curl.git/commit/7214288898f5625a6cc196e22a74232eada7861c",
                "target": {
                  "file": "lib/transfer.c",
                  "function": "Curl_follow"
                },
                "deprecated": false,
                "signature_type": "Function",
                "signature_version": "v1"
              }
            ],
            "vanir_signatures_modified": "2026-10-25T01:05:06Z"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-25T01:05:06.250344523Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "CWE": {
          "id": "CWE-359",
          "desc": "Exposure of Private Personal Information to an Unauthorized Actor"
        },
        "URL": "https://curl.se/docs/CVE-2021-22876.json",
        "www": "https://curl.se/docs/CVE-2021-22876.html",
        "award": {
          "amount": "800",
          "currency": "USD"
        },
        "issue": "https://hackerone.com/reports/1101882",
        "affects": "both",
        "package": "curl",
        "severity": "Low",
        "last_affected": "7.75.0"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2021-22876",
        "evidence": "/aliases"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": "/database_specific/severity"
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 444332,
  "published_at": "2021-03-31T08:00:00+00:00"
}