CVE-2016-4437: Shiro core Improper Access Control Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-p836-389h-j692
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-321 CWE-284
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-4437 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) improper access control vulnerability (CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key) affecting Shiro core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper access control in apache shiro. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.2.5.

CVE-2016-4437 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-4437
GHSA Identifier GHSA-p836-389h-j692
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key
Affected Product Shiro 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/E: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-2016-4437

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Shiro 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.

org.apache.shiro:shiro-core fixed: 1.2.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.shiro</groupId>
    <artifactId>shiro-core</artifactId>
    <version>1.2.5</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.apache.shiro

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2016-4437, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Shiro core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.2.5), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro 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-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key, where the product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key. In Shiro 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

Apache Shiro before 1.2.5, when a cipher key has not been configured for the "remember me" feature, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or bypass intended access restrictions via an unspecified request parameter.

CVE-2016-4437 Affected Shiro core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.2.5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.shiro:shiro-core
maven/org.apache.shiro/shiro-core
Maven
< 1.2.5
1.2.5

References

NVD — CVE-2016-4437 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-4437
lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800c7d727a00e04b78e2f06c5cd8960f09ca28c9b69d94c3c4c4%40%3Cannouncements.aurora.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800c7d727a00e04b78e2f06c5cd8960f09ca28c9b69d94c3c4c4@%3Cannouncements.aurora.apache.org%3E
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vul... WEB
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-4437
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137310/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Information-Disclosure.html
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157497/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Remote-Code-Execution.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2016-20... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2035.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2016-20... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2036.html
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/538570/100/0/threaded
Shiro core Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-4437?
CVE-2016-4437 is a security vulnerability in Shiro core involving Improper Access Control in Apache Shiro under CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key.
Which Shiro core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.2.5 across affected packages: org.apache.shiro:shiro-core.
What version fixes CVE-2016-4437?
Upgrading to 1.2.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is shiro-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.shiro:shiro-core is affected in releases prior to 1.2.5. Upgrade your dependency to 1.2.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-4437?
CVE-2016-4437 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/E:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2016-4437?
CVE-2016-4437 is classified under CWE-321: Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key (The product uses a hard-coded, unchangeable cryptographic key.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2016-4437?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.shiro'. 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-p836-389h-j692",
  "modified" : "2025-10-22T17:34:26Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T02:46:17Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-4437" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Access Control in Apache Shiro",
  "details" : "Apache Shiro before 1.2.5, when a cipher key has not been configured for the \"remember me\" feature, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or bypass intended access restrictions via an unspecified request parameter.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.shiro:shiro-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.2.5"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 1.2.4"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-4437"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800c7d727a00e04b78e2f06c5cd8960f09ca28c9b69d94c3c4c4%40%3Cannouncements.aurora.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800c7d727a00e04b78e2f06c5cd8960f09ca28c9b69d94c3c4c4@%3Cannouncements.aurora.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-4437"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137310/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Information-Disclosure.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157497/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Remote-Code-Execution.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2035.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2036.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/538570/100/0/threaded"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91024"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-284", "CWE-321" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-06T19:56:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2016-06-07T14:06:00Z"
  }
}