CVE-2020-13920: Activemq parent Improper Authentication Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2020-13920 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) improper authentication vulnerability (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) affecting Activemq parent libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper authentication in apache activemq. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.15.12.
CVE-2020-13920 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 5.9
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2020-13920
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Activemq parent dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>org.apache.activemq</groupId>
<artifactId>activemq-parent</artifactId>
<version>5.15.12</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.activemqHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-13920, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.activemqAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Activemq parent in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.15.12), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.activemq 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-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function, where the product does not perform any authentication for functionality that requires a provable user identity or consumes a significant amount of resources. In Activemq parent, 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
CVE-2020-13920 Affected Activemq parent Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.apache.activemq:activemq-parent
|
Maven |
< 5.15.12
|
5.15.12
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2020-13920?
Which Activemq parent versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2020-13920?
Is activemq-parent affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-13920?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-13920?
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-13920?
Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-xgrx-xpv2-6vp4",
"modified" : "2024-03-14T21:54:17Z",
"published" : "2022-02-09T22:15:00Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-13920" ],
"summary" : "Improper Authentication in Apache ActiveMQ",
"details" : "Apache ActiveMQ uses LocateRegistry.createRegistry() to create the JMX RMI registry and binds the server to the \"jmxrmi\" entry. It is possible to connect to the registry without authentication and call the rebind method to rebind jmxrmi to something else. If an attacker creates another server to proxy the original, and bound that, he effectively becomes a man in the middle and is able to intercept the credentials when an user connects. Upgrade to Apache ActiveMQ 5.15.12.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.apache.activemq:activemq-parent"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "5.15.12"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13920"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/359ae4b"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/48cd61d"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/58382283330f7c7b110c7afd8ef4ca2648786532"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq/commit/b7dca5e"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/apache/activemq"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/AMQ-7400"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r946488fb942fd35c6a6e0359f52504a558ed438574a8f14d36d7dcd7%40%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r946488fb942fd35c6a6e0359f52504a558ed438574a8f14d36d7dcd7@%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb2fd3bf2dce042e0ab3f3c94c4767c96bb2e7e6737624d63162df36d%40%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb2fd3bf2dce042e0ab3f3c94c4767c96bb2e7e6737624d63162df36d@%3Ccommits.activemq.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/10/msg00013.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/11/msg00013.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "http://activemq.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2020-13920-announcement.txt"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-306" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-05T23:04:50Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2020-09-10T19:15:00Z"
}
}