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CVE-2021-39144

XStream Remote Code Execution

8.5 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)Public exploitEPSS 98.1%
  1. Published23 Aug 2021
  2. Added to CISA KEV10 Mar 2023
  3. Remediation due31 Mar 2023
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

XStream contains a remote code execution vulnerability that allows an attacker to manipulate the processed input stream and replace or inject objects that result in the execution of a local command on the server. This vulnerability can affect multiple products, including but not limited to VMware Cloud Foundation.

Added to KEV: 10 Mar 2023Federal remediation due: 31 Mar 2023

Description

XStream is a simple library to serialize objects to XML and back again. In affected versions this vulnerability may allow a remote attacker has sufficient rights to execute commands of the 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.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityHigh
Privileges requiredLow
User interactionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Netapp Snapmanagerall versions
Oracle Business Activity Monitoring12.2.1.4.0
Oracle Commerce Guided Search11.3.2
Oracle Communications Billing And Revenue Management Elastic Charging Engine11.3 · 12.0
Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Automated Test Suite1.9.0
Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Binding Support Function1.10.0
Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Policy1.14.0
Oracle Communications Unified Inventory Management7.3.4 · 7.3.5 · 7.4.0 · 7.4.1
Oracle Retail Xstore Point Of Service16.0.6 · 17.0.4 · 18.0.3 · 19.0.2
Oracle Utilities Framework4.2.0.2.0 · 4.2.0.3.0 · 4.3.0.1.0 · 4.3.0.6.0
Oracle Utilities Testing Accelerator6.0.0.1.1
Oracle Webcenter Portal12.2.1.3.0 · 12.2.1.4.0
Xstream< 1.4.18
Debian Linux10.0 · 11.0 · 9.0
Fedoraproject Fedora33 · 34 · 35

Remediation

Fixed in
Xstream≥ 1.4.18

References

and 3 more references

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2021-39144 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-39144 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 10 Mar 2023.

How severe is CVE-2021-39144?

CVE-2021-39144 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.5, rated high. EPSS estimates a 98.1% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2021-39144?

Affected products include Netapp Snapmanager, Oracle Business Activity Monitoring, Oracle Commerce Guided Search, Oracle Communications Billing And Revenue Management Elastic Charging Engine, Oracle Communications Cloud Native Core Automated Test Suite, and 10 more.

How do I fix CVE-2021-39144?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Xstream 1.4.18 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-39144 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.