CVE-2011-4905: Activemq core Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9wcx-326r-7j7w
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2011-4905 is a MODERATE denial of service vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting Activemq core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves denial of service in apache activemq. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.6.0.

CVE-2011-4905 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2011-4905
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9wcx-326r-7j7w
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product Activemq core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2011-4905

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Activemq 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.apache.activemq:activemq-core fixed: 5.6.0
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.activemq</groupId>
    <artifactId>activemq-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.6.0</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=org.apache.activemq

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2011-4905, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.activemq

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Activemq core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.6.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.activemq 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 General Security Weakness. In Activemq 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

Apache ActiveMQ before 5.6.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (file-descriptor exhaustion and broker crash or hang) by sending many openwire failover:tcp:// connection requests.

CVE-2011-4905 Affected Activemq core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.6.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.activemq:activemq-core
Maven
< 5.6.0
5.6.0

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2011-4905?
CVE-2011-4905 is a security vulnerability in Activemq core involving Denial of Service in Apache ActiveMQ under General Security Weakness.
Which Activemq core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.6.0 across affected packages: org.apache.activemq:activemq-core.
What version fixes CVE-2011-4905?
Upgrading to 5.6.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is activemq-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.activemq:activemq-core is affected in releases prior to 5.6.0. Upgrade your dependency to 5.6.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2011-4905?
CVE-2011-4905 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2011-4905?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.activemq'. 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-9wcx-326r-7j7w",
  "modified" : "2023-12-20T18:41:45Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T05:35:59Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2011-4905" ],
  "summary" : "Denial of Service in Apache ActiveMQ",
  "details" : "Apache ActiveMQ before 5.6.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (file-descriptor exhaustion and broker crash or hang) by sending many openwire failover:tcp:// connection requests.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.activemq:activemq-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.6.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-4905"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/3a71f8e33d0309cb0ca5b5758a8f251da205e757"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/9df9d3e89140b7329654ad5675259ec6f0c4b3a7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/da7f9962c640666a743675085922bf75a656f81b"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/AMQ-1928"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/AMQ-3294"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/12/25/2"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2011/12/25/6"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1209700"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?view=revision&revision=1211844"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-13T18:26:49Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2012-01-05T16:55:00Z"
  }
}