CVE-2021-30128 – Apache OFBiz versions before 17.12.07 contain a... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2021-30128?

CVE-2021-30128 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). Apache OFBiz versions before 17.12.07 contain an unsafe deserialization vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects all deployments running vulnerable versions of Apache OFBiz, an open-source enterprise resource planning system. Attackers can exploit this without authentication to gain complete control of the server.

📋 TL;DR

Apache OFBiz versions before 17.12.07 contain an unsafe deserialization vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This affects all deployments running vulnerable versions of Apache OFBiz, an open-source enterprise resource planning system. Attackers can exploit this without authentication to gain complete control of the server.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Apache OFBiz

Versions: All versions prior to 17.12.07

Operating Systems: All platforms running Apache OFBiz

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All default installations of affected versions are vulnerable. No special configuration required for exploitation.

📦 What is this software?

Ofbiz by Apache

View all CVEs affecting Ofbiz →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete system compromise, data theft, ransomware deployment, and lateral movement within the network.

🟠

Likely Case

Remote code execution resulting in web shell installation, credential harvesting, and backdoor persistence on the server.

🟢

If Mitigated

Exploitation prevented through proper network segmentation and patching, limiting impact to isolated systems.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - Directly exploitable over HTTP/HTTPS without authentication, making internet-facing instances prime targets.

🏢 Internal Only: HIGH - Internal systems remain vulnerable to insider threats or attackers who breach perimeter defenses.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploit code is publicly available and requires minimal technical skill to execute. Multiple proof-of-concept implementations exist.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 17.12.07 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb3f5cd65f3ddce9b9eb4d6ea6e2919933f0f89b15953769d11003743%40%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Backup your OFBiz instance and database. 2. Download OFBiz version 17.12.07 or later from the Apache website. 3. Replace the vulnerable OFBiz installation with the patched version. 4. Restart the OFBiz service. 5. Verify the patch is applied by checking the version.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Network Segmentation

all

Restrict network access to OFBiz instances using firewalls to only allow trusted sources.

Web Application Firewall

all

Deploy a WAF with rules to detect and block deserialization attacks.

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Isolate the OFBiz instance in a separate network segment with strict firewall rules
Implement application-level monitoring and intrusion detection for suspicious deserialization activity

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check the OFBiz version number in the web interface or configuration files. If version is below 17.12.07, the system is vulnerable.

Check Version:

Check the OFBiz version in the web admin interface or examine the ofbiz-component.xml files for version information.

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm the version is 17.12.07 or higher and test that the application functions normally after patching.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual Java deserialization errors in logs
Suspicious HTTP POST requests to OFBiz endpoints
Unexpected process execution from OFBiz context

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests containing serialized Java objects to OFBiz endpoints
Outbound connections from OFBiz server to unknown external IPs

SIEM Query:

source="ofbiz.log" AND ("deserialization" OR "java.io.ObjectInputStream" OR "RMI" OR "JRMP")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-30128

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: April 27, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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