CVE-2019-14893: Jackson databind Polymorphic Deserialization Of Malicious Object Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-qmqc-x3r4-6v39
CWE-502
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-14893 is a HIGH polymorphic deserialization of malicious object vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting Jackson databind libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves polymorphic deserialization of malicious object in jackson-databind. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.9.10.

CVE-2019-14893 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-14893
GHSA Identifier GHSA-qmqc-x3r4-6v39
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product Jackson databind
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2019-14893

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
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
    <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
    <version>2.9.10</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-2019-14893, 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), 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

A flaw was discovered in FasterXML jackson-databind in all versions before 2.9.10 and 2.10.0, where it would permit polymorphic deserialization of malicious objects using the xalan JNDI gadget when used in conjunction with polymorphic type handling methods such as `enableDefaultTyping()` or when @JsonTypeInfo is using `Id.CLASS` or `Id.MINIMAL_CLASS` or in any other way which ObjectMapper.readValue might instantiate objects from unsafe sources. An attacker could use this flaw to execute arbitrary code.

CVE-2019-14893 Affected Jackson databind Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.9.10
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind
Maven
≥ 2.9.0
< 2.9.10
2.9.10

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-14893?
CVE-2019-14893 is a security vulnerability in Jackson databind involving Polymorphic deserialization of malicious object 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 across affected packages: com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind.
What version fixes CVE-2019-14893?
Upgrading to 2.9.10 (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. Upgrade your dependency to 2.9.10 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-14893?
CVE-2019-14893 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-2019-14893?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-qmqc-x3r4-6v39",
  "modified" : "2020-04-22T20:58:45Z",
  "published" : "2020-05-15T18:59:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-14893" ],
  "summary" : "Polymorphic deserialization of malicious object in jackson-databind",
  "details" : "A flaw was discovered in FasterXML jackson-databind in all versions before 2.9.10 and 2.10.0, where it would permit polymorphic deserialization of malicious objects using the xalan JNDI gadget when used in conjunction with polymorphic type handling methods such as `enableDefaultTyping()` or when @JsonTypeInfo is using `Id.CLASS` or `Id.MINIMAL_CLASS` or in any other way which ObjectMapper.readValue might instantiate objects from unsafe sources. An attacker could use this flaw to execute arbitrary code.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.9.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.9.10"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-14893"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/issues/2469"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/998efd708284778f29d83d7962a9bd935c228317"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0729"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-14893"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1b103833cb5bc8466e24ff0ecc5e75b45a705334ab6a444e64e840a0@%3Cissues.bookkeeper.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf1bbc0ea4a9f014cf94df9a12a6477d24a27f52741dbc87f2fd52ff2@%3Cissues.geode.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20200327-0006"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-04-22T20:58:45Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-03-02T21:15:00Z"
  }
}