CVE-2013-7259: Neo4j Neo4J Vulnerable To Cross-Site Request Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-x626-q4v7-7xc6
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CWE-78 CWE-352
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2013-7259 is a HIGH neo4j vulnerable to cross-site request vulnerability (CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')) affecting Neo4j libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves neo4j vulnerable to cross-site request forgery. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.2.0-M01.

CVE-2013-7259 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2013-7259
GHSA Identifier GHSA-x626-q4v7-7xc6
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
Affected Product Neo4j
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2013-7259

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Neo4j dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.neo4j:neo4j fixed: 2.2.0-M01 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.neo4j</groupId>
    <artifactId>neo4j</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.0-M01</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=org.neo4j

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2013-7259, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.neo4j

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Neo4j in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.2.0-M01), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.neo4j 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-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an os command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended os command when it is sent to a downstream component. In Neo4j, 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

Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in Neo4J 1.9.2 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that execute arbitrary code, as demonstrated by a request to (1) db/data/ext/GremlinPlugin/graphdb/execute_script or (2) db/manage/server/console/.

CVE-2013-7259 Affected Neo4j Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.2.0-M01
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.neo4j:neo4j
maven/org.neo4j/neo4j
Maven
< 2.2.0-M01
2.2.0-M01

References

NVD — CVE-2013-7259 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-7259
Neo4j Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j/issues/2826
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j/commit/40ad76078a25666d8b218772b6491fb443020df9
Neo4j Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j
Neo4j Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/o2platform/DefCon_RESTing/tree/master/Live-Demos/Neo4j
web.archive.org/web/20131017043717/... WEB
https://web.archive.org/web/20131017043717/http://blog.diniscruz.com/2013/08/neo4j-csrf-payload-to-start-processes.html
Neo4j Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/01/03/3
Neo4j Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/01/03/8

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2013-7259?
CVE-2013-7259 is a security vulnerability in Neo4j involving Neo4J vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection').
Which Neo4j versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.2.0-M01 across affected packages: org.neo4j:neo4j.
What version fixes CVE-2013-7259?
Upgrading to 2.2.0-M01 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is neo4j affected?
Yes, org.neo4j:neo4j is affected in releases prior to 2.2.0-M01. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.0-M01 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2013-7259?
CVE-2013-7259 is classified under CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2013-7259?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.neo4j'. 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-x626-q4v7-7xc6",
  "modified" : "2025-04-14T15:44:43Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T04:38:50Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2013-7259" ],
  "summary" : "Neo4J vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery",
  "details" : "Multiple cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities in Neo4J 1.9.2 allow remote attackers to hijack the authentication of administrators for requests that execute arbitrary code, as demonstrated by a request to (1) db/data/ext/GremlinPlugin/graphdb/execute_script or (2) db/manage/server/console/.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.neo4j:neo4j"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.0-M01"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-7259"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j/issues/2826"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j/commit/40ad76078a25666d8b218772b6491fb443020df9"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/neo4j/neo4j"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/o2platform/DefCon_RESTing/tree/master/Live-Demos/Neo4j"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://web.archive.org/web/20131017043717/http://blog.diniscruz.com/2013/08/neo4j-csrf-payload-to-start-processes.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/01/03/3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/01/03/8"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-352", "CWE-78" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-04-14T15:44:43Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2014-04-29T14:38:00Z"
  }
}