Red Hat JBoss is a widely used application server that provides enterprise-level capabilities for deploying, hosting, and managing Java-based applications. IT departments in large organizations often use JBoss to manage complex application environments, providing scalability and reliability. The software supports various Java Enterprise Edition (EE) technologies, making it versatile and suitable for numerous enterprise applications. JBoss is also popular for its open-source model, allowing users and organizations to customize and extend its capabilities. It is commonly found in businesses that require high-availability solutions, such as ecommerce sites and corporate intranets. The platform's rich feature set, including clustering, caching, and messaging, ensures its widespread utilization in critical IT infrastructure.
The vulnerability detected in Red Hat JBoss is Deserialization of Untrusted Data, which is a critical security flaw. It allows attackers to exploit the application's ability to deserialize data without proper validation. When untrusted data is fed into the application, it can lead to remote code execution under the context of the application user. This vulnerability affects the JMXInvokerServlet and EJBInvokerServlet HTTP Invoker endpoints, making them susceptible to exploitation. It is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication, increasing the risk of unauthorized access. The flaw has been actively exploited, largely targeting older and unpatched JBoss deployments.
Technical details reveal that the deserialization vulnerability affects two specific endpoints: JMXInvokerServlet and EJBInvokerServlet. These endpoints accept serialized Java objects via unauthenticated HTTP POST requests, which can be manipulated by attackers using crafted Apache Commons Collections gadget chains. The deserialization occurs without adequate checks, allowing the execution of arbitrary Java code. This can lead to a full-system compromise if the server is not properly secured. Attack exploits usually aim to execute commands at the system level, thereby gaining control over the host environment.
Exploiting this vulnerability can result in several severe impacts, including unauthorized access to sensitive data and execution of malicious code. This could allow attackers to exfiltrate data, alter system configurations, or deploy malware within the network. In addition to data theft, the consequence may also include privilege escalation, allowing attackers to gain further control over the system. Such exploits can severely disrupt services, compromise user accounts, and propagate across networked systems. The impact is compounded by the difficulty in detecting exploitation if adequate monitoring is not in place.
REFERENCES
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-7501
- https://foxglovesecurity.com/2015/11/06/what-do-weblogic-websphere-jboss-jenkins-opennms-and-your-application-have-in-common-this-vulnerability/
- https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/986a8488-052e-46d1-8ede-c55cbfceb822
- https://github.com/ianxtianxt/CVE-2015-7501
- https://github.com/jas502n/Jboss_JMXInvokerServlet_Deserialization_RCE
- https://www.blackduck.com/blog/mitigate-java-deserialization-vulnerability-jboss.html
- Apply Red Hat Security Advisory RHSA-2015:2538 to patch the system.
- Upgrade JBoss EAP to version 7.x to mitigate the vulnerability by removing affected invoker servlets.
- Restrict access to the /invoker/* endpoints to trusted network segments.
- Update the Apache Commons Collections library to version 3.2.2 or 4.1 or later to protect against gadget chain exploitation.
- Implement application-level security constraints via the jboss-web.xml configuration.
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