CVE-2012-5783: Commons httpclient Improper Certificate Validation Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-3832-9276-x7gf
Share
CWE-295
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2012-5783 is a MODERATE improper certificate validation vulnerability (CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation) affecting Commons httpclient libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper certificate validation in apache commons httpclient. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2012-5783 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2012-5783
GHSA Identifier GHSA-3832-9276-x7gf
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation
Affected Product Commons httpclient
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2012-5783

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

commons-httpclient:commons-httpclient fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>commons-httpclient</groupId>
    <artifactId>commons-httpclient</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</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=commons-httpclient

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2012-5783, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=commons-httpclient

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

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=commons-httpclient 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-295: Improper Certificate Validation, where the product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate. In Commons httpclient, 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

Apache Commons HttpClient 3.x, as used in Amazon Flexible Payments Service (FPS) merchant Java SDK and other products, does not verify that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject's Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via an arbitrary valid certificate. Note that the Commons HttpClient project is [end of life](https://hc.apache.org/httpclient-legacy/). It has been replaced by the Apache HttpComponents project in its [HttpClient](https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-client-5.4.x/) and [HttpCore](https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-core-5.3.x/) modules. CVE-2012-5783 has been patched in [v4.0](https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/apache/httpcomponents/httpclient/4.0/) of the Apache HttpComponents HttpClient module.

CVE-2012-5783 Affected Commons httpclient Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
commons-httpclient:commons-httpclient
maven/commons-httpclient/commons-httpclient
Maven
≥ 3.0

References

NVD — CVE-2012-5783 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-5783
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2017:08... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017:0868
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/799... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/79984
Commons httpclient Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/httpcomponents-client
issues.apache.org/jira/browse/httpcli... WEB
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HTTPCLIENT-1265
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-02/msg00078.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00040.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00041.html
lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/20... WEB
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2013-04/msg00053.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-02... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0270.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-06... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0679.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-06... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0680.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-06... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0682.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2013-18... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-1853.html
rhn.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2014-02... WEB
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014-0224.html
www.cs.utexas.edu/~shmat/shmat_ccs12.... WEB
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~shmat/shmat_ccs12.pdf
www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-2769-1 WEB
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2769-1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2012-5783?
CVE-2012-5783 is a security vulnerability in Commons httpclient involving Improper Certificate Validation in Apache Commons HttpClient under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation.
Which Commons httpclient versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: commons-httpclient:commons-httpclient.
What version fixes CVE-2012-5783?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is commons-httpclient affected?
Yes, commons-httpclient:commons-httpclient is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2012-5783?
CVE-2012-5783 is classified under CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation (The product does not validate, or incorrectly validates, a certificate.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2012-5783?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=commons-httpclient'. 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-3832-9276-x7gf",
  "modified" : "2024-11-05T22:28:04Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:10:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2012-5783" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Certificate Validation in Apache Commons HttpClient",
  "details" : "Apache Commons HttpClient 3.x, as used in Amazon Flexible Payments Service (FPS) merchant Java SDK and other products, does not verify that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject's Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via an arbitrary valid certificate.\n\nNote that the Commons HttpClient project is [end of life](https://hc.apache.org/httpclient-legacy/). It has been replaced by the Apache HttpComponents project in its [HttpClient](https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-client-5.4.x/) and [HttpCore](https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-core-5.3.x/) modules. CVE-2012-5783 has been patched in [v4.0](https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/apache/httpcomponents/httpclient/4.0/) of the Apache HttpComponents HttpClient module.",
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    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0270.html"
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    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0679.html"
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    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-1853.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2014-0224.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~shmat/shmat_ccs12.pdf"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2769-1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-295" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-13T13:58:59Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2012-11-04T22:55:00Z"
  }
}