CVE-2021-41766: Insecure Java Deserialization in Apache Karaf

Published Jan 2, 2022
·
Updated

A flaw was found in Apache Karaf. This issue allows monitoring of applications and the Java runtime by using the Java Management Extensions (JMX).

Other sources

Apache Karaf allows monitoring of applications and the Java runtime by using the Java Management Extensions (JMX). JMX is a Java RMI based technology that relies on Java serialized objects for client server communication. Whereas the default JMX implementation is hardened against unauthenticated deserialization attacks, the implementation used by Apache Karaf is not protected against this kind of attack.

The impact of Java deserialization vulnerabilities strongly depends on the classes that are available within the targets class path. Generally speaking, deserialization of untrusted data does always represent a high security risk and should be prevented.

The risk is low as, by default, Karaf uses a limited set of classes in the JMX server class path. It depends of system scoped classes (e.g. jar in the lib folder).

This has been fixed in revision: https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf?p=karaf.git;h=b42c82c https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf?p=karaf.git;h=93a019c

Mitigation: Apache Karaf users should upgrade to 4.3.6 or later as soon as possible, or disable remote access to JMX server.

JIRA Tickets: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/KARAF-7312

Red Hat

Affected Software

2 affected componentsFixes available
maven/org.apache.karaf.management:org.apache.karaf.management.server<4.3.6
4.3.6
Apache Karaf<4.3.6

Event History

Jan 2, 2022
CVE Published
12:00 AM
Data Sourced
12:00 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 26, 2022
CVE Published
via MITRE·11:10 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·11:10 AM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·02:08 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jan 28, 2022
Advisory Published
10:24 PM

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2021-41766?

CVE-2021-41766 is a vulnerability in Apache Karaf that allows monitoring of applications and the Java runtime.

2

How does CVE-2021-41766 affect Apache Karaf?

CVE-2021-41766 allows unauthenticated deserialization of Java objects in the default JMX implementation of Apache Karaf.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2021-41766?

The severity of CVE-2021-41766 is high with a CVSS score of 8.1.

4

How can I fix CVE-2021-41766 in Apache Karaf?

To fix CVE-2021-41766 in Apache Karaf, upgrade to version 4.3.6.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2021-41766?

More information about CVE-2021-41766 can be found at the following references: [Link 1](https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf?p=karaf.git;h=b42c82c), [Link 2](https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf?p=karaf.git;h=93a019c), [Link 3](https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/KARAF-7312).

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