Vulnerabilities in pkg:maven/org.jetbrains.kotlin/kotlin-gradle-plugin

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r937-wjx7-w2jp
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-53914 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.7) unsafe deserialization vulnerability (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) affecting JetBrains Kotlin libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves unsafe deserialization in kotlin build cache enables code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.4.20-Beta1.

1 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:maven/org.jetbrains.kotlin/kotlin-gradle-plugin

1 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:maven/org.jetbrains.kotlin/kotlin-gradle-plugin. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-r937-wjx7-w2jp CVE-2026-53914 MODERATE JetBrains Kotlin: Unsafe Deserialization in Kotlin Build Cache Enables Code Execution

CVE-2026-53914 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-53914
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r937-wjx7-w2jp
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.7
CWE Classification CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Affected Product JetBrains Kotlin
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.7

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

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required High (PR:H)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2026-53914

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected JetBrains Kotlin 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.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin fixed: 2.4.20-Beta1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.jetbrains.kotlin</groupId>
    <artifactId>kotlin-gradle-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>2.4.20-Beta1</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.jetbrains.kotlin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-53914, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jetbrains.kotlin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of JetBrains Kotlin in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.4.20-Beta1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jetbrains.kotlin 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-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, where the product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid. In JetBrains Kotlin, 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

In JetBrains Kotlin before 2.4.20 code execution was possible via unsafe deserialization in the build cache metadata

CVE-2026-53914 Affected JetBrains Kotlin Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.4.20-Beta1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin
maven/org.jetbrains.kotlin/kotlin-gradle-plugin
Maven
< 2.4.20-Beta1
2.4.20-Beta1

References

NVD — CVE-2026-53914 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53914
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin/commit/bf51df665b458fda7c3eaf436c4d88dc119d7ec6
JetBrains Kotlin Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin
JetBrains Kotlin Release RELEASE
https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin/releases/tag/v2.4.20-Beta1
JetBrains Kotlin Security Information SECURITY
https://www.jetbrains.com/privacy-security/issues-fixed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-53914?
CVE-2026-53914 is a security vulnerability in JetBrains Kotlin involving Unsafe Deserialization in Kotlin Build Cache Enables Code Execution under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data.
Which JetBrains Kotlin versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.4.20-Beta1 across affected packages: org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin.
What version fixes CVE-2026-53914?
Upgrading to 2.4.20-Beta1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is kotlin-gradle-plugin affected?
Yes, org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin is affected in releases prior to 2.4.20-Beta1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.4.20-Beta1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-53914?
CVE-2026-53914 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.7 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-53914?
CVE-2026-53914 is classified under CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data (The product deserializes untrusted data without sufficiently ensuring that the resulting data will be valid.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-53914?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.jetbrains.kotlin'. 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-r937-wjx7-w2jp",
  "modified" : "2026-08-12T19:25:23Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-26T15:32:13Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-53914" ],
  "summary" : "JetBrains Kotlin: Unsafe Deserialization in Kotlin Build Cache Enables Code Execution",
  "details" : "In JetBrains Kotlin before 2.4.20 code execution was possible via unsafe deserialization in the build cache metadata",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.4.20-Beta1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53914"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin/commit/bf51df665b458fda7c3eaf436c4d88dc119d7ec6"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/JetBrains/kotlin/releases/tag/v2.4.20-Beta1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.jetbrains.com/privacy-security/issues-fixed"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-502" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-08-12T19:25:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-26T14:17:05Z"
  }
}