CVE-2021-26295 – Apache OFBiz versions before 17.12.06 contain a... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2021-26295?

CVE-2021-26295 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). Apache OFBiz versions before 17.12.06 contain an unsafe deserialization vulnerability in the SOAP component. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code and take complete control of affected systems. Any organization running vulnerable Apache OFBiz instances is at risk.

📋 TL;DR

Apache OFBiz versions before 17.12.06 contain an unsafe deserialization vulnerability in the SOAP component. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this to execute arbitrary code and take complete control of affected systems. Any organization running vulnerable Apache OFBiz instances is at risk.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Apache OFBiz

Versions: All versions prior to 17.12.06

Operating Systems: All platforms running Java

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: SOAP component must be enabled, which is common in default configurations.

📦 What is this software?

Ofbiz by Apache

View all CVEs affecting Ofbiz →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete system compromise allowing remote code execution, data theft, lateral movement, and persistent backdoor installation.

🟠

Likely Case

Remote code execution leading to web server compromise, data exfiltration, and potential ransomware deployment.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper network segmentation and application firewalls block exploitation attempts.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Unauthenticated remote exploitation makes internet-facing instances extremely vulnerable.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Internal systems remain vulnerable to insider threats or compromised internal hosts.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Public exploit code available on Packet Storm and other sources. Attack requires no authentication.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 17.12.06 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r078351a876ed284ba667b33aba29428d7308a5bd4df78f14a3df6661%40%3Cnotifications.ofbiz.apache.org%3E

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Download Apache OFBiz 17.12.06 or later from official site. 2. Backup current installation and data. 3. Stop OFBiz service. 4. Replace with patched version. 5. Restart OFBiz service. 6. Verify functionality.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable SOAP Component

all

Temporarily disable the vulnerable SOAP component if not required for business operations.

Edit ofbiz-component.xml files to remove or comment SOAP component references

Network Access Control

linux

Restrict access to OFBiz SOAP endpoints using firewall rules.

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [OFBiz-port] -s [allowed-ips] -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [OFBiz-port] -j DROP

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement strict network segmentation to isolate OFBiz from critical systems
Deploy web application firewall with deserialization attack detection rules

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check OFBiz version in admin interface or examine version files in installation directory.

Check Version:

grep -r "version" ${OFBIZ_HOME}/framework/base/config/*.properties | grep -i ofbiz

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm version is 17.12.06 or later and test SOAP functionality if required.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual Java deserialization errors in logs
Unexpected process execution from OFBiz user
SOAP requests with serialized Java objects

Network Indicators:

HTTP POST requests to /webtools/control/SOAPService with serialized data
Outbound connections from OFBiz server to unknown IPs

SIEM Query:

source="ofbiz.log" AND ("deserialization" OR "SOAPService" AND "POST")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-26295

CVSS v3 Score: 9.8 (CRITICAL)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-502

Published: March 22, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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