CVE-2021-4104: Log4j JMSAppender Vulnerability
HIGHCVE-2021-4104 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) jmsappender vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Log4j libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves jmsappender in log4j 1.2 is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted data. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.
CVE-2021-4104 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 7.5
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
How to Fix CVE-2021-4104
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Log4j 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>log4j</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
<version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency><dependency>
<groupId>org.zenframework.z8.dependencies.commons</groupId>
<artifactId>log4j-1.2.17</artifactId>
<version>Latest secure release</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=log4jHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-4104, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=log4jAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Log4j in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=log4j 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-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, where the product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. In Log4j, 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-2021-4104 Affected Log4j Versions
2 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
log4j:log4j
|
Maven |
≥ 1.2.0
≤ 1.2.17
|
|
|
org.zenframework.z8.dependencies.commons:log4j-1.2.17
|
Maven |
≤ 2.0
|
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-4104?
Which Log4j versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2021-4104?
Is log4j affected?
Is log4j-1.2.17 affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-4104?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-4104?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-4104?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-fp5r-v3w9-4333",
"modified" : "2023-10-26T15:04:19Z",
"published" : "2021-12-14T19:49:31Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-4104" ],
"summary" : "JMSAppender in Log4j 1.2 is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted data",
"details" : "JMSAppender in Log4j 1.2 is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted data when the attacker has write access to the Log4j configuration. The attacker can provide TopicBindingName and TopicConnectionFactoryBindingName configurations causing JMSAppender to perform JNDI requests that result in remote code execution in a similar fashion to CVE-2021-44228. Note this issue only affects Log4j 1.2 when specifically configured to use JMSAppender, which is not the default. Apache Log4j 1.2 reached end of life in August 2015. Users should upgrade to Log4j 2 as it addresses numerous other issues from the previous versions.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "log4j:log4j"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "1.2.0"
}, {
"last_affected" : "1.2.17"
} ]
} ]
}, {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.zenframework.z8.dependencies.commons:log4j-1.2.17"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"last_affected" : "2.0"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4104"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/logging-log4j2/pull/608#issuecomment-990494126"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2021-4104"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/logging-log4j2"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://psirt.global.sonicwall.com/vuln-detail/SNWLID-2021-0033"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202209-02"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202310-16"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-02"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/202312-04"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20211223-0007"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-44228"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/930724"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/18/3"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
"severity" : "HIGH",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2021-12-14T19:47:27Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2021-12-14T12:15:00Z"
}
}