CVE-2018-18854: Spray json 2.12 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-18854 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Spray json 2.12 libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves uncontrolled resource consumption in spray-json. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.3.5.

CVE-2018-18854 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-18854
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Spray json 2.12
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-18854

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Spray json 2.12 dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

io.spray:spray-json_2.12 fixed: 1.3.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.spray</groupId>
    <artifactId>spray-json_2.12</artifactId>
    <version>1.3.5</version>
</dependency>
io.spray:spray-json_2.11 fixed: 1.3.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.spray</groupId>
    <artifactId>spray-json_2.11</artifactId>
    <version>1.3.5</version>
</dependency>
io.spray:spray-json_2.10 fixed: 1.3.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>io.spray</groupId>
    <artifactId>spray-json_2.10</artifactId>
    <version>1.3.5</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=io.spray

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-18854, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.spray

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Spray json 2.12 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.3.5), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.spray 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Spray json 2.12, 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

Lightbend Spray spray-json through 1.3.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) because of Algorithmic Complexity during the parsing of many JSON object fields (with keys that have the same hash code).

CVE-2018-18854 Affected Spray json 2.12 Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.3.5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
io.spray:spray-json_2.12
maven/io.spray/spray-json_2.12
Maven
< 1.3.5
1.3.5
io.spray:spray-json_2.11
maven/io.spray/spray-json_2.11
Maven
< 1.3.5
1.3.5
io.spray:spray-json_2.10
maven/io.spray/spray-json_2.10
Maven
< 1.3.5
1.3.5

References

NVD — CVE-2018-18854 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-18854
Spray json 2.12 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spray/spray-json/issues/277
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432
Spray json 2.12 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/spray/spray-jso

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-18854?
CVE-2018-18854 is a security vulnerability in Spray json 2.12 involving Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in spray-json under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Spray json 2.12 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.3.5 across affected packages: io.spray:spray-json_2.12, io.spray:spray-json_2.11, io.spray:spray-json_2.10.
What version fixes CVE-2018-18854?
Upgrading to 1.3.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is spray-json_2.12 affected?
Yes, io.spray:spray-json_2.12 is affected in releases prior to 1.3.5. Upgrade your dependency to 1.3.5 or later.
Is spray-json_2.11 affected?
Yes, io.spray:spray-json_2.11 is affected in releases prior to 1.3.5. Upgrade your dependency to 1.3.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-18854?
CVE-2018-18854 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-18854?
CVE-2018-18854 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-18854?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=io.spray'. 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-q8xj-8xg3-w432",
  "modified" : "2022-09-14T22:03:57Z",
  "published" : "2018-11-09T17:41:35Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-18854" ],
  "summary" : "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in spray-json",
  "details" : "Lightbend Spray spray-json through 1.3.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) because of Algorithmic Complexity during the parsing of many JSON object fields (with keys that have the same hash code).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.spray:spray-json_2.12"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.3.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.spray:spray-json_2.11"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.3.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "io.spray:spray-json_2.10"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.3.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-18854"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spray/spray-json/issues/277"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-q8xj-8xg3-w432"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/spray/spray-jso"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:51:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}