CVE-2021-46364: Magnolia core Deserialization Of Untrusted Data Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-pwr6-p3fh-grc2
CVSS 7.8
CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-46364 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.8) deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Magnolia core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves deserialization of untrusted data in magnolia cms. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 6.2.4.

CVE-2021-46364 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-46364
GHSA Identifier GHSA-pwr6-p3fh-grc2
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.8
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Magnolia core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-46364

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: 6.2.4
<dependency>
    <groupId>info.magnolia</groupId>
    <artifactId>magnolia-core</artifactId>
    <version>6.2.4</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-2021-46364, 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 6.2.4), 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 CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, where the product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. 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

A vulnerability in the Snake YAML parser of Magnolia CMS v6.2.3 and below allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted YAML file.

CVE-2021-46364 Affected Magnolia core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
6.2.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
info.magnolia:magnolia-core
Maven
< 6.2.4
6.2.4

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-46364?
CVE-2021-46364 is a security vulnerability in Magnolia core involving Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Magnolia CMS under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which Magnolia core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 6.2.4 across affected packages: info.magnolia:magnolia-core.
What version fixes CVE-2021-46364?
Upgrading to 6.2.4 (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 6.2.4. Upgrade your dependency to 6.2.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-46364?
CVE-2021-46364 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-46364?
CVE-2021-46364 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-2021-46364?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-pwr6-p3fh-grc2",
  "modified" : "2022-03-30T21:10:14Z",
  "published" : "2022-02-12T00:00:37Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-46364" ],
  "summary" : "Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Magnolia CMS",
  "details" : "A vulnerability in the Snake YAML parser of Magnolia CMS v6.2.3 and below allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted YAML file.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "info.magnolia:magnolia-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.2.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46364"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://docs.magnolia-cms.com/product-docs/6.2/Releases/Release-notes-for-Magnolia-CMS-6.2.4.html#_security_advisory"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/DrunkenShells/Disclosures/tree/master/CVE-2021-46364-YAML%20Deserialization-Magnolia%20CMS"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-02-14T22:44:01Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-02-11T21:15:00Z"
  }
}