CVE-2022-4245: Plexus utils Codehaus-plexus Vulnerable To XML Injection Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-jcwr-x25h-x5fh
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CVSS 4.3
CWE-91 CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-4245 is a MODERATE (CVSS 4.3) codehaus-plexus vulnerable to xml injection vulnerability (CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)) affecting Plexus utils libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves codehaus-plexus vulnerable to xml injection. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.0.24.

CVE-2022-4245 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-4245
GHSA Identifier GHSA-jcwr-x25h-x5fh
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 4.3
CWE Classification CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection)
Affected Product Plexus utils
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 4.3

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2022-4245

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Plexus utils 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.codehaus.plexus:plexus-utils fixed: 3.0.24 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.codehaus.plexus</groupId>
    <artifactId>plexus-utils</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.24</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.codehaus.plexus

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2022-4245, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.codehaus.plexus

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Plexus utils in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.0.24), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.codehaus.plexus 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 Plexus utils, 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

A flaw was found in codehaus-plexus. The `org.codehaus.plexus.util.xml.XmlWriterUtil#writeComment` fails to sanitize comments for a `-->` sequence. This issue means that text contained in the command string could be interpreted as XML and allow for XML injection.

CVE-2022-4245 Affected Plexus utils Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.0.24
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.codehaus.plexus:plexus-utils
maven/org.codehaus.plexus/plexus-utils
Maven
< 3.0.24
3.0.24

References

NVD — CVE-2022-4245 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4245
Plexus utils Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/codehaus-plexus/plexus-utils/issues/3
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/codehaus-plexus/plexus-utils/commit/f933e5e78dc2637e485447ed821fe14904f110de
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2023:21... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:2135
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2023:39... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:3906
Plexus utils Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2022-4245
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2149843
Plexus utils Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/codehaus-plexus/plexus-utils
Plexus utils Security Information SECURITY
https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGCODEHAUSPLEXUS-461102

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-4245?
CVE-2022-4245 is a security vulnerability in Plexus utils involving codehaus-plexus vulnerable to XML injection under CWE-91: XML Injection (aka Blind XPath Injection).
Which Plexus utils versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.0.24 across affected packages: org.codehaus.plexus:plexus-utils.
What version fixes CVE-2022-4245?
Upgrading to 3.0.24 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is plexus-utils affected?
Yes, org.codehaus.plexus:plexus-utils is affected in releases prior to 3.0.24. Upgrade your dependency to 3.0.24 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-4245?
CVE-2022-4245 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-4245?
CVE-2022-4245 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-2022-4245?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.codehaus.plexus'. 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-jcwr-x25h-x5fh",
  "modified" : "2024-05-03T20:26:14Z",
  "published" : "2023-09-25T21:30:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-4245" ],
  "summary" : "codehaus-plexus vulnerable to XML injection",
  "details" : "A flaw was found in codehaus-plexus. The `org.codehaus.plexus.util.xml.XmlWriterUtil#writeComment` fails to sanitize comments for a `-->` sequence. This issue means that text contained in the command string could be interpreted as XML and allow for XML injection. ",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.codehaus.plexus:plexus-utils"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.24"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-4245"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codehaus-plexus/plexus-utils/issues/3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codehaus-plexus/plexus-utils/commit/f933e5e78dc2637e485447ed821fe14904f110de"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:2135"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2023:3906"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2022-4245"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2149843"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/codehaus-plexus/plexus-utils"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGCODEHAUSPLEXUS-461102"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611", "CWE-91" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-09-26T19:38:53Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-09-25T20:15:10Z"
  }
}