CVE-2019-11065: Gradle core Insecure Transport Protocol Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pprq-4488-wgqx
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-319
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-11065 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) insecure transport protocol vulnerability (CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information) affecting Gradle core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves insecure transport protocol in gradle. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.4.0.

CVE-2019-11065 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-11065
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pprq-4488-wgqx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information
Affected Product Gradle core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

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 None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-11065

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Gradle 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.gradle:gradle-core fixed: 5.4.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.gradle</groupId>
    <artifactId>gradle-core</artifactId>
    <version>5.4.0</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.gradle

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-11065, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.gradle

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Gradle core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.4.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.gradle 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-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information, where the product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors. In Gradle 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

Gradle versions from 1.4 to 5.3.1 use an insecure HTTP URL to download dependencies when the built-in JavaScript or CoffeeScript Gradle plugins are used. Dependency artifacts could have been maliciously compromised by a MITM attack against the ajax.googleapis.com web site.

CVE-2019-11065 Affected Gradle core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.4.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.gradle:gradle-core
maven/org.gradle/gradle-core
Maven
≥ 1.4
< 5.4.0
5.4.0

References

NVD — CVE-2019-11065 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11065
Gradle core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/8927
Gradle core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gradle/gradle
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/WVXOXNLAYRGPKAZV63PYNV3HF27JW2MW
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y43P7SVDJOG6OUDVFR4ZIDITZLNHPGTO
lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/packa... WEB
https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YQ5CGOV5QVQCSPGE3WRZDKUGIXLHSZDR

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-11065?
CVE-2019-11065 is a security vulnerability in Gradle core involving Insecure transport protocol in Gradle under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information.
Which Gradle core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.4.0 across affected packages: org.gradle:gradle-core.
What version fixes CVE-2019-11065?
Upgrading to 5.4.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is gradle-core affected?
Yes, org.gradle:gradle-core is affected in releases prior to 5.4.0. Upgrade your dependency to 5.4.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-11065?
CVE-2019-11065 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-11065?
CVE-2019-11065 is classified under CWE-319: Cleartext Transmission of Sensitive Information (The product transmits sensitive or security-critical data in cleartext in a communication channel that can be sniffed by unauthorized actors.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-11065?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.gradle'. 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-pprq-4488-wgqx",
  "modified" : "2023-03-06T20:45:53Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:21:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-11065" ],
  "summary" : "Insecure transport protocol in Gradle",
  "details" : "Gradle versions from 1.4 to 5.3.1 use an insecure HTTP URL to download dependencies when the built-in JavaScript or CoffeeScript Gradle plugins are used. Dependency artifacts could have been maliciously compromised by a MITM attack against the ajax.googleapis.com web site.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.gradle:gradle-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.4"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.4.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-11065"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gradle/gradle/pull/8927"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gradle/gradle"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/WVXOXNLAYRGPKAZV63PYNV3HF27JW2MW"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/Y43P7SVDJOG6OUDVFR4ZIDITZLNHPGTO"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/YQ5CGOV5QVQCSPGE3WRZDKUGIXLHSZDR"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-319" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-01T23:02:27Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-04-10T00:29:00Z"
  }
}