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CVE-2017-12149: Red Hat JBoss Application Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CVE-2017-12149 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 and affects Red Hat JBoss Application Server, along with 1 other product in NVD’s configuration data. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2021-12-10, which means exploitation in the wild has been observed.

Vulnerability description

In Jboss Application Server as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Application Platform 5.2, it was found that the doFilter method in the ReadOnlyAccessFilter of the HTTP Invoker does not restrict classes for which it performs deserialization and thus allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code via crafted serialized data.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.1 9.8: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data

The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.

Affected products

Red Hat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform: all versions listed by NVD; 5.0.0; 5.0.1; 5.1.0; 5.1.1; 5.1.2; 5.2.0; 5.2.1; 5.2.2