CVE-2021-46361: Magnolia core Arbitrary Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m4hg-5p2m-fm5m
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CVSS 9.8
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-46361 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) arbitrary code execution vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting Magnolia core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves arbitrary code execution in magnolia cms. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 6.2.12.

CVE-2021-46361 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-46361
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m4hg-5p2m-fm5m
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product Magnolia core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-46361

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Magnolia 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.

info.magnolia:magnolia-core fixed: 6.2.12 
<dependency>
    <groupId>info.magnolia</groupId>
    <artifactId>magnolia-core</artifactId>
    <version>6.2.12</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=info.magnolia

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-46361, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=info.magnolia

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Magnolia core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 6.2.12), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=info.magnolia 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 Magnolia 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

An issue in the Freemark Filter of Magnolia CMS v6.2.11 and below allows attackers to bypass security restrictions and execute arbitrary code via a crafted FreeMarker payload.

CVE-2021-46361 Affected Magnolia core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
6.2.12
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
info.magnolia:magnolia-core
maven/info.magnolia/magnolia-core
Maven
< 6.2.12
6.2.12

References

NVD — CVE-2021-46361 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46361
docs.magnolia-cms.com/product-docs/6.2/re... WEB
https://docs.magnolia-cms.com/product-docs/6.2/Releases/Release-notes-for-Magnolia-CMS-6.2.12.html#_security_advisory
Magnolia core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/DrunkenShells/Disclosures/tree/master/CVE-2021-46361-FreeMarker%20Bypass-Magnolia%20CMS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-46361?
CVE-2021-46361 is a security vulnerability in Magnolia core involving Arbitrary code execution in Magnolia CMS under General Security Weakness.
Which Magnolia core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 6.2.12 across affected packages: info.magnolia:magnolia-core.
What version fixes CVE-2021-46361?
Upgrading to 6.2.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is magnolia-core affected?
Yes, info.magnolia:magnolia-core is affected in releases prior to 6.2.12. Upgrade your dependency to 6.2.12 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-46361?
CVE-2021-46361 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-46361?
CVE-2021-46361 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-46361?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=info.magnolia'. 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-m4hg-5p2m-fm5m",
  "modified" : "2022-02-23T22:13:17Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-12T00:00:37Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-46361" ],
  "summary" : "Arbitrary code execution in Magnolia CMS",
  "details" : "An issue in the Freemark Filter of Magnolia CMS v6.2.11 and below allows attackers to bypass security restrictions and execute arbitrary code via a crafted FreeMarker payload.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "info.magnolia:magnolia-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.2.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46361"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://docs.magnolia-cms.com/product-docs/6.2/Releases/Release-notes-for-Magnolia-CMS-6.2.12.html#_security_advisory"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/DrunkenShells/Disclosures/tree/master/CVE-2021-46361-FreeMarker%20Bypass-Magnolia%20CMS"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-02-14T22:43:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-02-11T21:15:00Z"
  }
}