CVE-2021-44549: Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail Improper Certificate Validation Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2021-44549 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.4) improper certificate validation vulnerability (CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation) affecting Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper certificate validation and improper validation of certificate with host mismatch in apache sling commons messaging mail. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.0.
CVE-2021-44549 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.4
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2021-44549
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.sling</groupId>
<artifactId>org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail</artifactId>
<version>2.0</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.slingHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-44549, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.slingAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.0), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.sling 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-295: Improper Certificate Validation, where the product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate. In Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail, 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
CVE-2021-44549 Affected Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail
|
Maven |
< 2.0
|
2.0
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-44549?
Which Org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2021-44549?
Is org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-44549?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-44549?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-44549?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-c69w-jj56-834w",
"modified" : "2022-01-04T19:09:34Z",
"published" : "2021-12-16T14:12:49Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-44549" ],
"summary" : "Improper Certificate Validation and Improper Validation of Certificate with Host Mismatch in Apache Sling Commons Messaging Mail",
"details" : "Apache Sling Commons Messaging Mail provides a simple layer on top of JavaMail/Jakarta Mail for OSGi to send mails via SMTPS. To reduce the risk of \"man in the middle\" attacks additional server identity checks must be performed when accessing mail servers. For compatibility reasons these additional checks are disabled by default in JavaMail/Jakarta Mail. The SimpleMailService in Apache Sling Commons Messaging Mail 1.0 lacks an option to enable these checks for the shared mail session. A user could enable these checks nevertheless by accessing the session via the message created by SimpleMessageBuilder and setting the property mail.smtps.ssl.checkserveridentity to true. Apache Sling Commons Messaging Mail 2.0 adds support for enabling server identity checks and these checks are enabled by default. - https://javaee.github.io/javamail/docs/SSLNOTES.txt - https://javaee.github.io/javamail/docs/api/com/sun/mail/smtp/package-summary.html - https://github.com/eclipse-ee4j/mail/issues/429",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.apache.sling:org.apache.sling.commons.messaging.mail"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "2.0"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-44549"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-ee4j/mail/issues/429"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/eclipse-ee4j"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://javaee.github.io/javamail/docs/SSLNOTES.txt"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://javaee.github.io/javamail/docs/api/com/sun/mail/smtp/package-summary.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/l8p9h2bqvkj6rhv4w8kzctb817415b7f"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-295", "CWE-297" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2021-12-15T15:15:17Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2021-12-14T16:15:00Z"
}
}