CVE-2022-41853: Hsqldb Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-77xx-rxvh-q682
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-470
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-41853 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection')) affecting Hsqldb libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves hypersql database vulnerable to remote code execution when processing untrusted input. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.7.1.

CVE-2022-41853 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-41853
GHSA Identifier GHSA-77xx-rxvh-q682
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection')
Affected Product Hsqldb
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2022-41853

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Hsqldb 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.hsqldb:hsqldb fixed: 2.7.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.hsqldb</groupId>
    <artifactId>hsqldb</artifactId>
    <version>2.7.1</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.hsqldb

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2022-41853, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.hsqldb

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Hsqldb in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.7.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.hsqldb 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-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection'), where the product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code. In Hsqldb, 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

Those using `java.sql.Statement` or `java.sql.PreparedStatement` in hsqldb (HyperSQL DataBase) to process untrusted input may be vulnerable to a remote code execution attack. By default it is allowed to call any static method of any Java class in the classpath resulting in code execution. The issue can be prevented by updating to 2.7.1 or by setting the system property "hsqldb.method_class_names" to classes which are allowed to be called. For example, `System.setProperty("hsqldb.method_class_names", "abc")` or Java argument `-Dhsqldb.method_class_names="abc"` can be used. From version 2.7.1 all classes by default are not accessible except those in `java.lang.Math` and need to be manually enabled.

CVE-2022-41853 Affected Hsqldb Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.7.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.hsqldb:hsqldb
maven/org.hsqldb/hsqldb
Maven
< 2.7.1
2.7.1

References

NVD — CVE-2022-41853 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-41853
bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/d... WEB
https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=50212#c7
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00020.html
sourceforge.net/projects/hsqldb PACKAGE
https://sourceforge.net/projects/hsqldb
Hsqldb Security Information SECURITY
https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5313
Hsqldb Security Information SECURITY
http://hsqldb.org/doc/2.0/guide/sqlroutines-chapt.html#src_jrt_access_control

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-41853?
CVE-2022-41853 is a security vulnerability in Hsqldb involving HyperSQL DataBase vulnerable to remote code execution when processing untrusted input under CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection').
Which Hsqldb versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.7.1 across affected packages: org.hsqldb:hsqldb.
What version fixes CVE-2022-41853?
Upgrading to 2.7.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is hsqldb affected?
Yes, org.hsqldb:hsqldb is affected in releases prior to 2.7.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.7.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-41853?
CVE-2022-41853 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-41853?
CVE-2022-41853 is classified under CWE-470: Use of Externally-Controlled Input to Select Classes or Code ('Unsafe Reflection') (The product uses external input with reflection to select which classes or code to use, but it does not sufficiently prevent the input from selecting improper classes or code.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2022-41853?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.hsqldb'. 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-77xx-rxvh-q682",
  "modified" : "2023-01-11T22:59:28Z",
  "published" : "2022-10-06T18:52:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-41853" ],
  "summary" : "HyperSQL DataBase vulnerable to remote code execution when processing untrusted input",
  "details" : "Those using `java.sql.Statement` or `java.sql.PreparedStatement` in hsqldb (HyperSQL DataBase) to process untrusted input may be vulnerable to a remote code execution attack. By default it is allowed to call any static method of any Java class in the classpath resulting in code execution. The issue can be prevented by updating to 2.7.1 or by setting the system property \"hsqldb.method_class_names\" to classes which are allowed to be called. For example, `System.setProperty(\"hsqldb.method_class_names\", \"abc\")` or Java argument `-Dhsqldb.method_class_names=\"abc\"` can be used. From version 2.7.1 all classes by default are not accessible except those in `java.lang.Math` and need to be manually enabled.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.hsqldb:hsqldb"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.7.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-41853"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugs.chromium.org/p/oss-fuzz/issues/detail?id=50212#c7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2022/12/msg00020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://sourceforge.net/projects/hsqldb"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.debian.org/security/2023/dsa-5313"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://hsqldb.org/doc/2.0/guide/sqlroutines-chapt.html#src_jrt_access_control"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-470" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-10-06T21:16:51Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-10-06T18:17:00Z"
  }
}