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Remote code execution in Apache Commons Configuration

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 21, 2020 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Feb 1, 2023

Package

maven org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2 (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 2.2, < 2.7

Patched versions

2.7

Description

Apache Commons Configuration uses a third-party library to parse YAML files which by default allows the instantiation of classes if the YAML includes special statements. Apache Commons Configuration versions 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 did not change the default settings of this library. So if a YAML file was loaded from an untrusted source, it could therefore load and execute code out of the control of the host application.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Mar 13, 2020
Reviewed May 21, 2020
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 21, 2020
Last updated Feb 1, 2023

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

0.635%
(80th percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2020-1953

GHSA ID

GHSA-7qx4-pp76-vrqh

Source code

No known source code
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