CVE-2021-37578 – CVE-2021-37578 is a Java deserialization vulner... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2021-37578?

CVE-2021-37578 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL). CVE-2021-37578 is a Java deserialization vulnerability in Apache jUDDI's RMI implementation that allows remote code execution. Attackers can send malicious serialized objects to RMI endpoints, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Only systems with RMI explicitly enabled are affected, which is not the default configuration.

📋 TL;DR

CVE-2021-37578 is a Java deserialization vulnerability in Apache jUDDI's RMI implementation that allows remote code execution. Attackers can send malicious serialized objects to RMI endpoints, potentially leading to complete system compromise. Only systems with RMI explicitly enabled are affected, which is not the default configuration.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Apache jUDDI

Versions: All versions before 3.3.10

Operating Systems: All platforms running Java

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Only vulnerable if RMI transport is explicitly enabled. RMI is an optional feature disabled by default.

📦 What is this software?

Juddi by Apache

View all CVEs affecting Juddi →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote attacker gains full control of the jUDDI server, allowing arbitrary code execution, data theft, and lateral movement within the network.

🟠

Likely Case

Server compromise leading to service disruption, data exfiltration, or installation of backdoors/malware.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if RMI is disabled (default) or proper network controls prevent RMI access.

🌐 Internet-Facing: MEDIUM - Only affects systems with RMI explicitly enabled and exposed to untrusted networks.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW - RMI is disabled by default, making internal exploitation unlikely without intentional configuration changes.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Java deserialization exploits are well-documented and weaponization is common. No authentication required for RMI endpoints.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 3.3.10 and later

Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r82047b3ba774cf870ea8e1e9ec51c6107f6cd056d4e36608148c6e71%40%3Cprivate.juddi.apache.org%3E

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Upgrade to jUDDI version 3.3.10 or later. 2. Download from Apache jUDDI releases. 3. Replace existing installation. 4. Restart all jUDDI services.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable RMI Transport

all

Ensure RMI is disabled in jUDDI configuration as it's an optional feature

Check juddi.properties for rmi.enabled=false
Remove RMI configuration from deployment descriptors

Network Segmentation

linux

Block RMI ports (typically 1099) at network boundaries

iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 1099 -j DROP
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-rich-rule='rule family="ipv4" port port="1099" protocol="tcp" reject'

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Ensure RMI transport is disabled in all jUDDI configurations
Implement strict network controls to block RMI traffic (port 1099) from untrusted sources

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check jUDDI version: grep 'juddi.version' in configuration files or check application metadata. Versions <3.3.10 are vulnerable if RMI is enabled.

Check Version:

Check juddi.properties or application logs for version information

Verify Fix Applied:

Confirm version is 3.3.10 or later and verify RMI endpoints are not accessible on port 1099.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Java deserialization errors in logs
Unexpected RMI connections
ClassNotFoundExceptions related to serialization

Network Indicators:

RMI traffic on port 1099 to jUDDI servers
Malformed serialized objects in network captures

SIEM Query:

source="juddi.log" AND ("RMI" OR "deserialization" OR "1099")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2021-37578

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: July 29, 2021

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/07/29/1 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r82047b3ba774cf870ea8e1e9ec51c6107f6cd056d4e36608148c6e71%40%3Cprivate.juddi.apache.org%3E Broken Link,Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/07/29/1 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r82047b3ba774cf870ea8e1e9ec51c6107f6cd056d4e36608148c6e71%40%3Cprivate.juddi.apache.org%3E Broken Link,Mailing List,Third Party Advisory

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2021-37578, you might also want to check these: