CVE-2020-36184: Jackson databind Unsafe Deserialization Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m6x4-97wx-4q27
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-36184 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) unsafe deserialization vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Jackson databind libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves unsafe deserialization in jackson-databind. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.9.10.8.

CVE-2020-36184 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-36184
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m6x4-97wx-4q27
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Jackson databind
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

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:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
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-2020-36184

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Jackson databind dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind fixed: 2.9.10.8 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
    <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
    <version>2.9.10.8</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=com.fasterxml.jackson.core

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-36184, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.fasterxml.jackson.core

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Jackson databind in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.9.10.8), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.fasterxml.jackson.core 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 Jackson databind, 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

FasterXML jackson-databind 2.x before 2.9.10.8 mishandles the interaction between serialization gadgets and typing, related to org.apache.tomcat.dbcp.dbcp2.datasources.PerUserPoolDataSource.

CVE-2020-36184 Affected Jackson databind Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.9.10.8
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind
maven/com.fasterxml.jackson.core/jackson-databind
Maven
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.9.10.8
2.9.10.8

References

NVD — CVE-2020-36184 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36184
Jackson databind Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/issues/2998
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/567194c53ae91f0a14dc27239afb739b1c10448a
cowtowncoder.medium.com/on-jackson-cves-don... WEB
https://cowtowncoder.medium.com/on-jackson-cves-dont-panic-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-54cd0d6e8062
Jackson databind Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce... WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00025.html
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210205-0005
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuapr2022.html
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2022.html
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html
Jackson databind Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36184?
CVE-2020-36184 is a security vulnerability in Jackson databind involving Unsafe Deserialization in jackson-databind under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which Jackson databind versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.9.10.8 across affected packages: com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind.
What version fixes CVE-2020-36184?
Upgrading to 2.9.10.8 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is jackson-databind affected?
Yes, com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind is affected in releases prior to 2.9.10.8. Upgrade your dependency to 2.9.10.8 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-36184?
CVE-2020-36184 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-36184?
CVE-2020-36184 is classified under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data (The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-36184?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.fasterxml.jackson.core'. 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-m6x4-97wx-4q27",
  "modified" : "2022-02-08T21:38:27Z",
  "published" : "2021-12-09T19:16:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-36184" ],
  "summary" : "Unsafe Deserialization in jackson-databind",
  "details" : "FasterXML jackson-databind 2.x before 2.9.10.8 mishandles the interaction between serialization gadgets and typing, related to org.apache.tomcat.dbcp.dbcp2.datasources.PerUserPoolDataSource.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.9.10.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36184"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/issues/2998"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/567194c53ae91f0a14dc27239afb739b1c10448a"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cowtowncoder.medium.com/on-jackson-cves-dont-panic-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-54cd0d6e8062"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00025.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210205-0005"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com//security-alerts/cpujul2021.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html"
  }, {
    "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" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-03-18T23:30:19Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-01-06T23:15:00Z"
  }
}