CVE-2019-12741: Hapi fhir base Cross-Site Scripting Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-52mh-p2m2-w625
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CVSS 6.1
CWE-79
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-12741 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.1) cross-site scripting vulnerability (CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')) affecting Hapi fhir base libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves cross-site scripting in hapi fhir. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.8.0.

CVE-2019-12741 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-12741
GHSA Identifier GHSA-52mh-p2m2-w625
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.1
CWE Classification CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Affected Product Hapi fhir base
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2019-12741

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

ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:hapi-fhir-base fixed: 3.8.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>ca.uhn.hapi.fhir</groupId>
    <artifactId>hapi-fhir-base</artifactId>
    <version>3.8.0</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=ca.uhn.hapi.fhir

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-12741, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ca.uhn.hapi.fhir

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Hapi fhir base in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.8.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ca.uhn.hapi.fhir 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-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting'), where the product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users. In Hapi fhir base, 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

XSS exists in the HAPI FHIR testpage overlay module of the HAPI FHIR library before 3.8.0. The attack involves unsanitized HTTP parameters being output in a form page, allowing attackers to leak cookies and other sensitive information from ca/uhn/fhir/to/BaseController.java via a specially crafted URL. (This module is not generally used in production systems so the attack surface is expected to be low, but affected systems are recommended to upgrade immediately.)

CVE-2019-12741 Affected Hapi fhir base Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.8.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:hapi-fhir-base
maven/ca.uhn.hapi.fhir/hapi-fhir-base
Maven
< 3.8.0
3.8.0

References

NVD — CVE-2019-12741 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12741
Hapi fhir base Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/jamesagnew/hapi-fhir/issues/1335
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/jamesagnew/hapi-fhir/commit/8f41159eb147eeb964cad68b28eff97acac6ea9a
Hapi fhir base Release RELEASE
https://github.com/jamesagnew/hapi-fhir/releases/tag/v3.8.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-12741?
CVE-2019-12741 is a security vulnerability in Hapi fhir base involving Cross-site Scripting in HAPI FHIR under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting').
Which Hapi fhir base versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.8.0 across affected packages: ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:hapi-fhir-base.
What version fixes CVE-2019-12741?
Upgrading to 3.8.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is hapi-fhir-base affected?
Yes, ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:hapi-fhir-base is affected in releases prior to 3.8.0. Upgrade your dependency to 3.8.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-12741?
CVE-2019-12741 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-12741?
CVE-2019-12741 is classified under CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') (The product does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes user-controllable input before it is placed in output that is used as a web page that is served to other users.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-12741?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=ca.uhn.hapi.fhir'. 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-52mh-p2m2-w625",
  "modified" : "2021-08-04T21:01:39Z",
  "published" : "2019-06-07T20:56:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-12741" ],
  "summary" : "Cross-site Scripting in HAPI FHIR",
  "details" : "XSS exists in the HAPI FHIR testpage overlay module of the HAPI FHIR library before 3.8.0. The attack involves unsanitized HTTP parameters being output in a form page, allowing attackers to leak cookies and other sensitive information from ca/uhn/fhir/to/BaseController.java via a specially crafted URL. (This module is not generally used in production systems so the attack surface is expected to be low, but affected systems are recommended to upgrade immediately.)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "ca.uhn.hapi.fhir:hapi-fhir-base"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.8.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12741"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jamesagnew/hapi-fhir/issues/1335"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jamesagnew/hapi-fhir/commit/8f41159eb147eeb964cad68b28eff97acac6ea9a"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/jamesagnew/hapi-fhir/releases/tag/v3.8.0"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-79" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2019-06-07T14:35:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-06-05T15:29:00Z"
  }
}