CVE-2014-8125: Drools core Improper Input Validation Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6qx9-rf9g-7jmr
CWE-20
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-8125 is a HIGH improper input validation vulnerability (CWE-20: Improper Input Validation) affecting Drools core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper input validation in drools and jbpm. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 6.2.0.Final.

CVE-2014-8125 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-8125
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6qx9-rf9g-7jmr
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-20: Improper Input Validation
Affected Product Drools core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2014-8125

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Drools 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.

org.drools:drools-core fixed: 6.2.0.Final
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.drools</groupId>
    <artifactId>drools-core</artifactId>
    <version>6.2.0.Final</version>
</dependency>
org.jbpm:jbpm-bpmn2 fixed: 6.2.0.Final
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jbpm</groupId>
    <artifactId>jbpm-bpmn2</artifactId>
    <version>6.2.0.Final</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=org.drools

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2014-8125, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.drools

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Drools core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 6.2.0.Final), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.drools 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-20: Improper Input Validation, where the product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly. In Drools 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

XML external entity (XXE) vulnerability in Drools and jBPM before 6.2.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files or possibly have other unspecified impact via a crafted BPMN2 file.

CVE-2014-8125 Affected Drools core Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
6.2.0.Final
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.drools:drools-core
Maven
< 6.2.0.Final
6.2.0.Final
org.jbpm:jbpm-bpmn2
Maven
< 6.2.0.Final
6.2.0.Final

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-8125?
CVE-2014-8125 is a security vulnerability in Drools core involving Improper Input Validation in Drools and jBPM under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation.
Which Drools core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 6.2.0.Final across affected packages: org.drools:drools-core, org.jbpm:jbpm-bpmn2.
What version fixes CVE-2014-8125?
Upgrading to 6.2.0.Final (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is drools-core affected?
Yes, org.drools:drools-core is affected in releases prior to 6.2.0.Final. Upgrade your dependency to 6.2.0.Final or later.
Is jbpm-bpmn2 affected?
Yes, org.jbpm:jbpm-bpmn2 is affected in releases prior to 6.2.0.Final. Upgrade your dependency to 6.2.0.Final or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-8125?
CVE-2014-8125 is classified under CWE-20: Improper Input Validation (The product receives input or data, but it does not validate or incorrectly validates that the input has the properties that are required to process the data safely and correctly.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2014-8125?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.drools'. 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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6qx9-rf9g-7jmr",
  "modified" : "2022-07-06T21:03:48Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T04:12:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-8125" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Input Validation in Drools and jBPM",
  "details" : "XML external entity (XXE) vulnerability in Drools and jBPM before 6.2.0 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files or possibly have other unspecified impact via a crafted BPMN2 file.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.drools:drools-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.2.0.Final"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 6.2.0.CR4"
    }
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jbpm:jbpm-bpmn2"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.2.0.Final"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 6.2.0.CR4"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-8125"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/droolsjbpm/drools/commit/c48464c3b246e6ef0d4cd0dbf67e83ccd532c6d3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/droolsjbpm/jbpm/commit/713e8073ecf45623cfc5c918c5cbf700203f46e5"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1169553"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0850.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-0851.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-20" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-06T21:03:48Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2015-04-21T17:59:00Z"
  }
}