CVE-2019-17598: Play ws 2.12 Play Framework Inadequate Encryption Strength Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-442g-gcg6-mhm4
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-326
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-17598 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) play framework inadequate encryption strength vulnerability (CWE-326: Inadequate Encryption Strength) affecting Play ws 2.12 libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves play framework inadequate encryption strength vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.6.24.

CVE-2019-17598 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-17598
GHSA Identifier GHSA-442g-gcg6-mhm4
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-326: Inadequate Encryption Strength
Affected Product Play ws 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:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2019-17598

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Play ws 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.play:play-ws_2.12 fixed: 2.6.24 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.typesafe.play</groupId>
    <artifactId>play-ws_2.12</artifactId>
    <version>2.6.24</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.play

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-17598, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Play ws 2.12 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.6.24), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.play 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-326: Inadequate Encryption Strength, where the product stores or transmits sensitive data using an encryption scheme that is theoretically sound, but is not strong enough for the level of protection required. In Play ws 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

An issue was discovered in Lightbend Play Framework 2.5.x through 2.6.23. When configured to make requests using an authenticated HTTP proxy, play-ws may sometimes, typically under high load, when connecting to a target host using https, expose the proxy credentials to the target host.

CVE-2019-17598 Affected Play ws 2.12 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.6.24
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.typesafe.play:play-ws_2.12
maven/com.typesafe.play/play-ws_2.12
Maven
≥ 2.5.0
< 2.6.24
2.6.24

References

NVD — CVE-2019-17598 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-17598
Play ws 2.12 Security Information SECURITY
https://www.playframework.com/security/vulnerability
Play ws 2.12 Security Information SECURITY
https://www.playframework.com/security/vulnerability/CVE-2019-17598-PlayWSHttpConnectAuthorizationHeaders

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-17598?
CVE-2019-17598 is a security vulnerability in Play ws 2.12 involving Play Framework Inadequate Encryption Strength vulnerability under CWE-326: Inadequate Encryption Strength.
Which Play ws 2.12 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.6.24 across affected packages: com.typesafe.play:play-ws_2.12.
What version fixes CVE-2019-17598?
Upgrading to 2.6.24 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is play-ws_2.12 affected?
Yes, com.typesafe.play:play-ws_2.12 is affected in releases prior to 2.6.24. Upgrade your dependency to 2.6.24 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-17598?
CVE-2019-17598 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-17598?
CVE-2019-17598 is classified under CWE-326: Inadequate Encryption Strength (The product stores or transmits sensitive data using an encryption scheme that is theoretically sound, but is not strong enough for the level of protection required.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-17598?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.typesafe.play'. 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-442g-gcg6-mhm4",
  "modified" : "2022-11-22T19:04:39Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T22:01:04Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-17598" ],
  "summary" : "Play Framework Inadequate Encryption Strength vulnerability",
  "details" : "An issue was discovered in Lightbend Play Framework 2.5.x through 2.6.23. When configured to make requests using an authenticated HTTP proxy, play-ws may sometimes, typically under high load, when connecting to a target host using https, expose the proxy credentials to the target host.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.typesafe.play:play-ws_2.12"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.5.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.6.24"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-17598"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.playframework.com/security/vulnerability"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.playframework.com/security/vulnerability/CVE-2019-17598-PlayWSHttpConnectAuthorizationHeaders"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-326" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-22T19:04:39Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-11-05T15:15:00Z"
  }
}