Vulnerabilities in pkg:maven/org.sonatype.nexus/nexus-extdirect

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g2f6-v5qh-h2mq
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-10199 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) remote code execution vulnerability (CWE-917: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement ('Expression Language Injection')) affecting Nexus extdirect libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves nexus repository manager 3 - remote code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.21.2.

1 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:maven/org.sonatype.nexus/nexus-extdirect

1 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:maven/org.sonatype.nexus/nexus-extdirect. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-g2f6-v5qh-h2mq CVE-2020-10199 HIGH Nexus Repository Manager 3 - Remote Code Execution

CVE-2020-10199 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-10199
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g2f6-v5qh-h2mq
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-917: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement ('Expression Language Injection')
Affected Product Nexus extdirect
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
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-2020-10199

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Nexus extdirect 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.sonatype.nexus:nexus-extdirect fixed: 3.21.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.sonatype.nexus</groupId>
    <artifactId>nexus-extdirect</artifactId>
    <version>3.21.2</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.sonatype.nexus

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-10199, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.sonatype.nexus

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Nexus extdirect in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.21.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.sonatype.nexus 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-917: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement ('Expression Language Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of an expression language (el) statement in a framework such as a java server page (jsp) using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended el statement before it is executed. In Nexus extdirect, 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

Sonatype Nexus Repository before 3.21.2 allows JavaEL Injection (issue 1 of 2).

CVE-2020-10199 Affected Nexus extdirect Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.21.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.sonatype.nexus:nexus-extdirect
maven/org.sonatype.nexus/nexus-extdirect
Maven
< 3.21.2
3.21.2

References

NVD — CVE-2020-10199 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10199
MITRE CVE Database — CVE-2020-10199 MITRE
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/917.html
Nexus extdirect Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/sonatype/nexus-public
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-015-nxrm-sonatype
support.sonatype.com/hc/en-us/articles/3... WEB
https://support.sonatype.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044882533
www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vul... WEB
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-10199
Nexus extdirect Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157261/Nexus-Repository-Manager-3.21.1-01-Remote-Code-Execution.html
Nexus extdirect Security Information SECURITY
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160835/Sonatype-Nexus-3.21.1-Remote-Code-Execution.html

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10199?
CVE-2020-10199 is a security vulnerability in Nexus extdirect involving Nexus Repository Manager 3 - Remote Code Execution under CWE-917: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement ('Expression Language Injection').
Which Nexus extdirect versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.21.2 across affected packages: org.sonatype.nexus:nexus-extdirect.
What version fixes CVE-2020-10199?
Upgrading to 3.21.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is nexus-extdirect affected?
Yes, org.sonatype.nexus:nexus-extdirect is affected in releases prior to 3.21.2. Upgrade your dependency to 3.21.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-10199?
CVE-2020-10199 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-10199?
CVE-2020-10199 is classified under CWE-917: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an Expression Language Statement ('Expression Language Injection') (The product constructs all or part of an expression language (EL) statement in a framework such as a Java Server Page (JSP) using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended EL statement before it is executed.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-10199?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.sonatype.nexus'. 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-g2f6-v5qh-h2mq",
  "modified" : "2025-10-22T17:49:49Z",
  "published" : "2020-04-14T15:27:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-10199" ],
  "summary" : "Nexus Repository Manager 3 - Remote Code Execution ",
  "details" : "Sonatype Nexus Repository before 3.21.2 allows JavaEL Injection (issue 1 of 2).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.sonatype.nexus:nexus-extdirect"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.21.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10199"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/917.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/sonatype/nexus-public"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2020-015-nxrm-sonatype"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://support.sonatype.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044882533"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-10199"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157261/Nexus-Repository-Manager-3.21.1-01-Remote-Code-Execution.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160835/Sonatype-Nexus-3.21.1-Remote-Code-Execution.html"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-917" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-04-14T15:26:13Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-04-01T19:15:00Z"
  }
}