CVE-2021-40146: Apache any23 Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-99px-7724-484v
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CVSS 9.8
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-40146 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability (General Security Weakness) affecting Apache any23 libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves remote code execution in any23. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.5.

CVE-2021-40146 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-40146
GHSA Identifier GHSA-99px-7724-484v
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification General Security Weakness
Affected Product Apache any23
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).

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-2021-40146

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Apache any23 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.apache.any23:apache-any23 fixed: 2.5 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.any23</groupId>
    <artifactId>apache-any23</artifactId>
    <version>2.5</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.apache.any23

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-40146, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.any23

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Apache any23 in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.5), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.any23 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 General Security Weakness. In Apache any23, 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

A Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability was discovered in the Any23 YAMLExtractor.java file and is known to affect Any23 versions < 2.5. RCE vulnerabilities allow a malicious actor to execute any code of their choice on a remote machine over LAN, WAN, or internet. RCE belongs to the broader class of arbitrary code execution (ACE) vulnerabilities.

CVE-2021-40146 Affected Apache any23 Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.5
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.any23:apache-any23
maven/org.apache.any23/apache-any23
Maven
< 2.5
2.5

References

NVD — CVE-2021-40146 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-40146
Apache any23 Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/any23
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r7c521e... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r7c521ed85c7ae1bad4fdf95b459f2aaa8a67eae338636b7b7ec35d86%40%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
Apache any23 Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/09/11/2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-40146?
CVE-2021-40146 is a security vulnerability in Apache any23 involving Remote Code Execution in Any23 under General Security Weakness.
Which Apache any23 versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.5 across affected packages: org.apache.any23:apache-any23.
What version fixes CVE-2021-40146?
Upgrading to 2.5 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is apache-any23 affected?
Yes, org.apache.any23:apache-any23 is affected in releases prior to 2.5. Upgrade your dependency to 2.5 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-40146?
CVE-2021-40146 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.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-40146?
CVE-2021-40146 is classified under General Security Weakness.
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2021-40146?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.any23'. 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-99px-7724-484v",
  "modified" : "2021-09-24T13:10:31Z",
  "published" : "2021-09-13T20:06:38Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-40146" ],
  "summary" : "Remote Code Execution in Any23",
  "details" : "A Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability was discovered in the Any23 YAMLExtractor.java file and is known to affect Any23 versions < 2.5. RCE vulnerabilities allow a malicious actor to execute any code of their choice on a remote machine over LAN, WAN, or internet. RCE belongs to the broader class of arbitrary code execution (ACE) vulnerabilities.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.any23:apache-any23"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-40146"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/any23"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r7c521ed85c7ae1bad4fdf95b459f2aaa8a67eae338636b7b7ec35d86%40%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/09/11/2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-09-13T19:31:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-09-11T11:15:00Z"
  }
}