CVE-2018-17297: Hutool parent Path Traversal Vulnerability

Q: What is CVE-2018-17297?

CVE-2018-17297 is a security vulnerability in Hutool parent involving Unzip function in ZipUtil.java in Hutool allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').

Q: Which Hutool parent versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 4.1.12 across affected packages: cn.hutool:hutool-parent, cn.hutool:hutool-all, cn.hutool:hutool-core.

Q: What version fixes CVE-2018-17297?

Upgrading to 4.1.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Q: Is hutool-parent affected?

Yes, cn.hutool:hutool-parent is affected in releases prior to 4.1.12. Upgrade your dependency to 4.1.12 or later.

Q: Is hutool-all affected?

Yes, cn.hutool:hutool-all is affected in releases prior to 4.1.12. Upgrade your dependency to 4.1.12 or later.

Q: What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-17297?

CVE-2018-17297 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:H/A:N.

Q: What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-17297?

CVE-2018-17297 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).

Q: How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-17297?

Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=cn.hutool'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.

HIGH

Advisory Identifier: GHSA-rhq2-2574-78mc

CVSS 7.5

CWE-22

Published 2018-10-17

Advisory Summary

CVE-2018-17297 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Hutool parent libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves unzip function in ziputil.java in hutool allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.1.12.

CVE-2018-17297 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2018-17297

GHSA Identifier GHSA-rhq2-2574-78mc

Severity HIGH

CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5

CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Affected Product Hutool parent

Package Ecosystem Maven

Published Date 2018-10-17

Last Updated 2022-04-27

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:H/A:N).

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 High (I:H)

Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2018-17297

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Hutool 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.

cn.hutool:hutool-parent fixed: 4.1.12

<dependency>
    <groupId>cn.hutool</groupId>
    <artifactId>hutool-parent</artifactId>
    <version>4.1.12</version>
</dependency>

cn.hutool:hutool-all fixed: 4.1.12

<dependency>
    <groupId>cn.hutool</groupId>
    <artifactId>hutool-all</artifactId>
    <version>4.1.12</version>
</dependency>

cn.hutool:hutool-core fixed: 4.1.12

<dependency>
    <groupId>cn.hutool</groupId>
    <artifactId>hutool-core</artifactId>
    <version>4.1.12</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=cn.hutool

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2018-17297, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=cn.hutool

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Hutool parent in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.1.12), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=cn.hutool 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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Hutool 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

The unzip function in ZipUtil.java in Hutool before 4.1.12 allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in a filename within a ZIP archive.

CVE-2018-17297 Affected Hutool parent Versions

3 component(s)

Fixed Versions:

4.1.12

Product / Package	Ecosystem	Affected Versions	Fixed Version
cn.hutool:hutool-parent maven/cn.hutool/hutool-parent	Maven	< 4.1.12	4.1.12
cn.hutool:hutool-all maven/cn.hutool/hutool-all	Maven	< 4.1.12	4.1.12
cn.hutool:hutool-core maven/cn.hutool/hutool-core	Maven	< 4.1.12	4.1.12

References

NVD — CVE-2018-17297 NVD

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17297

Hutool parent Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/looly/hutool/issues/162

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY

https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rhq2-2574-78mc

Hutool parent Source Repository REPOSITORY

https://github.com/looly/hutool

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-17297?

CVE-2018-17297 is a security vulnerability in Hutool parent involving Unzip function in ZipUtil.java in Hutool allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').

Which Hutool parent versions are affected?

Affected versions include releases prior to 4.1.12 across affected packages: cn.hutool:hutool-parent, cn.hutool:hutool-all, cn.hutool:hutool-core.

What version fixes CVE-2018-17297?

Upgrading to 4.1.12 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.

Is hutool-parent affected?

Yes, cn.hutool:hutool-parent is affected in releases prior to 4.1.12. Upgrade your dependency to 4.1.12 or later.

Is hutool-all affected?

Yes, cn.hutool:hutool-all is affected in releases prior to 4.1.12. Upgrade your dependency to 4.1.12 or later.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2018-17297?

CVE-2018-17297 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:H/A:N.

What CWE is associated with CVE-2018-17297?

CVE-2018-17297 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).

How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2018-17297?

Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=cn.hutool'. 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-rhq2-2574-78mc",
  "modified" : "2022-04-27T14:42:53Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-17T19:54:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2018-17297" ],
  "summary" : "Unzip function in ZipUtil.java in Hutool allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal",
  "details" : "The unzip function in ZipUtil.java in Hutool before 4.1.12 allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via directory traversal sequences in a filename within a ZIP archive.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "cn.hutool:hutool-parent"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "cn.hutool:hutool-all"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "cn.hutool:hutool-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-17297"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/looly/hutool/issues/162"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rhq2-2574-78mc"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/looly/hutool"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:55:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}

CVSS V3

7.5 HIGH