CVE-2018-12541: Vertx core Excessive Memory Allocation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-45xm-v8gq-7jqx
Share
CVSS 6.5
CWE-789 CWE-119
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-12541 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) excessive memory allocation vulnerability (CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value) affecting Vertx core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves excessive memory allocation. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.5.4.

CVE-2018-12541 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-12541
GHSA Identifier GHSA-45xm-v8gq-7jqx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value
Affected Product Vertx core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-12541

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Vertx core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

io.vertx:vertx-core fixed: 3.5.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.vertx</groupId>
    <artifactId>vertx-core</artifactId>
    <version>3.5.4</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.vertx

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-12541, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.vertx

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Vertx core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.5.4), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.vertx command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value, where the product allocates memory based on an untrusted, large size value, but it does not ensure that the size is within expected limits, allowing arbitrary amounts of memory to be allocated. In Vertx core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In version from 3.0.0 to 3.5.3 of Eclipse Vert.x, the WebSocket HTTP upgrade implementation buffers the full http request before doing the handshake, holding the entire request body in memory. There should be a reasonnable limit (8192 bytes) above which the WebSocket gets an HTTP response with the 413 status code and the connection gets closed.

CVE-2018-12541 Affected Vertx core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.5.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
io.vertx:vertx-core
maven/io.vertx/vertx-core
Maven
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.5.4
3.5.4

References

NVD — CVE-2018-12541 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-12541
Vertx core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x/issues/2648
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x/commit/269a583330695d1418a4f5578f7169350b2e1332
lists.apache.org/thread.html/reb3cc4... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/reb3cc4f3e10264896a541813c0030ec9d9466ba9b722fe5d4adc91cd@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/re5ddab... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re5ddabee26fbcadc7254d03a5a073d64080a9389adc9e452529664ed@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd0e44e... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd0e44e8ef71eeaaa3cf3d1b8b41eb25894372e2995ec908ce7624d26@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbdc279... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbdc279ecdb7ac496a03befb05a53605c4ce2b67e14f8f4df4cfa1203@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r98dc06... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r98dc06e2b1c498d0e9eb5038d8e1aefd24e411e50522e7082dd9e0b7@%3Ccommits.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8db043... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8db0431ecf93f2dd2128db5ddca897b33ba883b7f126648d6a9e4c47@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r79789a... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r79789a0afb184abd13a2c07016e6e7ab8e64331f332b630bf82a2eed@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3da899... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3da899890536af744dec897fbc561fd9810ac45e79a16164b53c31b2@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r362835... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r362835e6c7f34324ed24e318b363fcdd20cea91d0cea0b2e1164f73e@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r344235... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r344235b1aea2f7fa2381495df1d77d02b595e3d7e4626e701f7c1062@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1af711... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1af71105539fe01fcecb92d2ecd8eea56c515fb1c80ecab4df424553@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r11789c... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r11789cd6d67ecca2d6f6bbb11e34495e68ee99287b6c59edf5b1a09c@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r011238... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r01123837ffbfdf5809e0a4ac354ad546e4ca8f18df89ee5a10eeb81b@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E
Vertx core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x
bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=539170
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:29... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2946

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-12541?
CVE-2018-12541 is a security vulnerability in Vertx core involving Excessive memory allocation under CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value.
Which Vertx core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.5.4 across affected packages: io.vertx:vertx-core.
What version fixes CVE-2018-12541?
Upgrading to 3.5.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is vertx-core affected?
Yes, io.vertx:vertx-core is affected in releases prior to 3.5.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.5.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-12541?
CVE-2018-12541 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-12541?
CVE-2018-12541 is classified under CWE-789: Memory Allocation with Excessive Size Value (The product allocates memory based on an untrusted, large size value, but it does not ensure that the size is within expected limits, allowing arbitrary amounts of memory to be allocated.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-12541?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.vertx'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-45xm-v8gq-7jqx",
  "modified" : "2022-04-25T20:23:45Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-17T16:19:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-12541" ],
  "summary" : "Excessive memory allocation",
  "details" : "In version from 3.0.0 to 3.5.3 of Eclipse Vert.x, the WebSocket HTTP upgrade implementation buffers the full http request before doing the handshake, holding the entire request body in memory. There should be a reasonnable limit (8192 bytes) above which the WebSocket gets an HTTP response with the 413 status code and the connection gets closed.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.vertx:vertx-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.5.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-12541"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x/issues/2648"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x/commit/269a583330695d1418a4f5578f7169350b2e1332"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/reb3cc4f3e10264896a541813c0030ec9d9466ba9b722fe5d4adc91cd@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/re5ddabee26fbcadc7254d03a5a073d64080a9389adc9e452529664ed@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd0e44e8ef71eeaaa3cf3d1b8b41eb25894372e2995ec908ce7624d26@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbdc279ecdb7ac496a03befb05a53605c4ce2b67e14f8f4df4cfa1203@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r98dc06e2b1c498d0e9eb5038d8e1aefd24e411e50522e7082dd9e0b7@%3Ccommits.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r8db0431ecf93f2dd2128db5ddca897b33ba883b7f126648d6a9e4c47@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r79789a0afb184abd13a2c07016e6e7ab8e64331f332b630bf82a2eed@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r3da899890536af744dec897fbc561fd9810ac45e79a16164b53c31b2@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r362835e6c7f34324ed24e318b363fcdd20cea91d0cea0b2e1164f73e@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r344235b1aea2f7fa2381495df1d77d02b595e3d7e4626e701f7c1062@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1af71105539fe01fcecb92d2ecd8eea56c515fb1c80ecab4df424553@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r11789cd6d67ecca2d6f6bbb11e34495e68ee99287b6c59edf5b1a09c@%3Ccommits.pulsar.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r01123837ffbfdf5809e0a4ac354ad546e4ca8f18df89ee5a10eeb81b@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-vertx/vert.x"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=539170"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2946"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-119", "CWE-789" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T20:57:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-10-10T20:29:00Z"
  }
}