CVE-2013-4221: Org.restlet Restlet Is Vulnerable To Arbitrary Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-92j2-5r7p-6hjw
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CWE-91
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2013-4221 is a HIGH restlet is vulnerable to arbitrary vulnerability (CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)) affecting Org.restlet libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves restlet is vulnerable to arbitrary java code execution via crafted xml. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.4.

CVE-2013-4221 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2013-4221
GHSA Identifier GHSA-92j2-5r7p-6hjw
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)
Affected Product Org.restlet
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2013-4221

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Org.restlet 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.restlet.jse:org.restlet fixed: 2.1.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.restlet.jse</groupId>
    <artifactId>org.restlet</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.4</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=org.restlet.jse

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2013-4221, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.restlet.jse

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Org.restlet in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.4), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.restlet.jse 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-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection), where the product does not properly neutralize special elements that are used in xml, allowing attackers to modify the syntax, content, or commands of the xml before it is processed by an end system. In Org.restlet, 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

The default configuration of the ObjectRepresentation class in Restlet before 2.1.4 deserializes objects from untrusted sources using the Java XMLDecoder, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via crafted XML.

CVE-2013-4221 Affected Org.restlet Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.restlet.jse:org.restlet
maven/org.restlet.jse/org.restlet
Maven
< 2.1.4
2.1.4

References

NVD — CVE-2013-4221 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4221
Org.restlet Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java/issues/774
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java/commit/b85c2ef182c69c5e2e21df008ccb249ccf80c7b
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=995275
Org.restlet Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java
blog.diniscruz.com/2013/08/using-xmlde... WEB
http://blog.diniscruz.com/2013/08/using-xmldecoder-to-execute-server-side.html
restlet.org/learn/2.1/changes WEB
http://restlet.org/learn/2.1/changes
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-14... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-1410.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-18... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-1862.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2013-4221?
CVE-2013-4221 is a security vulnerability in Org.restlet involving Restlet is vulnerable to Arbitrary Java Code Execution via crafted XML under CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection).
Which Org.restlet versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.4 across affected packages: org.restlet.jse:org.restlet.
What version fixes CVE-2013-4221?
Upgrading to 2.1.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is org.restlet affected?
Yes, org.restlet.jse:org.restlet is affected in releases prior to 2.1.4. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.4 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2013-4221?
CVE-2013-4221 is classified under CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection) (The product does not properly neutralize special elements that are used in XML, allowing attackers to modify the syntax, content, or commands of the XML before it is processed by an end system.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2013-4221?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.restlet.jse'. 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-92j2-5r7p-6hjw",
  "modified" : "2024-03-05T17:30:03Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T03:28:12Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2013-4221" ],
  "summary" : "Restlet is vulnerable to Arbitrary Java Code Execution via crafted XML",
  "details" : "The default configuration of the ObjectRepresentation class in Restlet before 2.1.4 deserializes objects from untrusted sources using the Java XMLDecoder, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via crafted XML.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.restlet.jse:org.restlet"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-4221"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java/issues/774"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java/commit/b85c2ef182c69c5e2e21df008ccb249ccf80c7b"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=995275"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://blog.diniscruz.com/2013/08/using-xmldecoder-to-execute-server-side.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://restlet.org/learn/2.1/changes"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-1410.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-1862.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-91" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-08-29T18:02:04Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2013-10-10T00:55:00Z"
  }
}