CVE-2018-16131: Akka http core 2.12 Akka-http-core_2.11 And Com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12 Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9qgc-p27w-3hjg
Share
CVSS 7.5
CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-16131 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) akka-http-core_2.11 and com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12 vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Akka http core 2.12 libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves akka-http-core_2.11 and com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 10.1.4.

CVE-2018-16131 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-16131
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9qgc-p27w-3hjg
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product Akka http core 2.12
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A: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 None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2018-16131

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Akka http core 2.12 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.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12 fixed: 10.1.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.typesafe.akka</groupId>
    <artifactId>akka-http-core_2.12</artifactId>
    <version>10.1.4</version>
</dependency>
com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.11 fixed: 10.1.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.typesafe.akka</groupId>
    <artifactId>akka-http-core_2.11</artifactId>
    <version>10.1.4</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=com.typesafe.akka

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-16131, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.akka

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Akka http core 2.12 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 10.1.4), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.akka 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-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In Akka http core 2.12, 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 decodeRequest and decodeRequestWith directives in Lightbend Akka HTTP 10.1.x through 10.1.4 and 10.0.x through 10.0.13 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and daemon crash) via a ZIP bomb.

CVE-2018-16131 Affected Akka http core 2.12 Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
10.1.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12
maven/com.typesafe.akka/akka-http-core_2.12
Maven
≥ 10.1.0
< 10.1.4
10.1.4
com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.11
maven/com.typesafe.akka/akka-http-core_2.11
Maven
≥ 10.1.0
< 10.1.4
10.1.4

References

NVD — CVE-2018-16131 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16131
Akka http core 2.12 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/akka/akka-http/issues/2137
akka.io/blog/news/2018/08/3... WEB
https://akka.io/blog/news/2018/08/30/akka-http-dos-vulnerability-found
Akka http core 2.12 Security Information SECURITY
https://doc.akka.io/docs/akka-http/current/security/2018-09-05-denial-of-service-via-decodeRequest.html
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9qgc-p27w-3hjg
groups.google.com/forum/ WEB
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/akka-security/Dj7INsYWdjg

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-16131?
CVE-2018-16131 is a security vulnerability in Akka http core 2.12 involving akka-http-core_2.11 and com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12 under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which Akka http core 2.12 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 10.1.4 across affected packages: com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12, com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.11.
What version fixes CVE-2018-16131?
Upgrading to 10.1.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is akka-http-core_2.12 affected?
Yes, com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12 is affected in releases prior to 10.1.4. Upgrade your dependency to 10.1.4 or later.
Is akka-http-core_2.11 affected?
Yes, com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.11 is affected in releases prior to 10.1.4. Upgrade your dependency to 10.1.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-16131?
CVE-2018-16131 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-16131?
CVE-2018-16131 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-16131?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.akka'. 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-9qgc-p27w-3hjg",
  "modified" : "2021-09-08T20:46:55Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-22T20:37:07Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-16131" ],
  "summary" : "High severity vulnerability that affects com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.11 and com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12",
  "details" : "The decodeRequest and decodeRequestWith directives in Lightbend Akka HTTP 10.1.x through 10.1.4 and 10.0.x through 10.0.13 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and daemon crash) via a ZIP bomb.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.12"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "10.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "10.1.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.typesafe.akka:akka-http-core_2.11"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "10.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "10.1.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-16131"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/akka/akka-http/issues/2137"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://akka.io/blog/news/2018/08/30/akka-http-dos-vulnerability-found"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://doc.akka.io/docs/akka-http/current/security/2018-09-05-denial-of-service-via-decodeRequest.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-9qgc-p27w-3hjg"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/akka-security/Dj7INsYWdjg"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:29:22Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}