CVE-2018-14667: Richfaces core Richfaces Vulnerable To Arbitrary Code Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-j7mw-7crr-658v
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-14667 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) richfaces vulnerable to arbitrary code vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Richfaces core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves richfaces vulnerable to arbitrary code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.4.

CVE-2018-14667 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-14667
GHSA Identifier GHSA-j7mw-7crr-658v
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product Richfaces core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E: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 High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-14667

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Richfaces core 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.richfaces:richfaces-core fixed: 3.3.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.richfaces</groupId>
    <artifactId>richfaces-core</artifactId>
    <version>3.3.4</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.richfaces

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-14667, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.richfaces

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Richfaces core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.3.4), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.richfaces 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Richfaces core, 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

The RichFaces Framework 3.X through 3.3.4 is vulnerable to Expression Language (EL) injection via the UserResource resource. A remote, unauthenticated attacker could exploit this to execute arbitrary code using a chain of java serialized objects via `org.ajax4jsf.resource.UserResource$UriData`.

CVE-2018-14667 Affected Richfaces core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.3.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.richfaces:richfaces-core
maven/org.richfaces/richfaces-core
Maven
< 3.3.4
3.3.4

References

NVD — CVE-2018-14667 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14667
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/richfaces/richfaces/commit/1372eb716c1a215a5af124198f21bde33fafad06
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:35... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3517
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:35... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3518
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:35... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3519
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2018:35... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3581
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-14667
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vul... WEB
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-14667
Richfaces core Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156663/Richsploit-RichFaces-Exploitation-Toolkit.html
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020... WEB
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Mar/21

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-14667?
CVE-2018-14667 is a security vulnerability in Richfaces core involving Richfaces vulnerable to arbitrary code execution under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Richfaces core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.3.4 across affected packages: org.richfaces:richfaces-core.
What version fixes CVE-2018-14667?
Upgrading to 3.3.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is richfaces-core affected?
Yes, org.richfaces:richfaces-core is affected in releases prior to 3.3.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.3.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-14667?
CVE-2018-14667 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-14667?
CVE-2018-14667 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-14667?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.richfaces'. 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-j7mw-7crr-658v",
  "modified" : "2025-10-22T17:36:28Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:17:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-14667" ],
  "summary" : "Richfaces vulnerable to arbitrary code execution",
  "details" : "The RichFaces Framework 3.X through 3.3.4 is vulnerable to Expression Language (EL) injection via the UserResource resource. A remote, unauthenticated attacker could exploit this to execute arbitrary code using a chain of java serialized objects via `org.ajax4jsf.resource.UserResource$UriData`.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.richfaces:richfaces-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14667"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/richfaces/richfaces/commit/1372eb716c1a215a5af124198f21bde33fafad06"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3517"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3518"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3519"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3581"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2018-14667"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2018-14667"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/156663/Richsploit-RichFaces-Exploitation-Toolkit.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2020/Mar/21"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-08T13:08:20Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2018-11-06T22:29:00Z"
  }
}