CVE-2021-27850
Remote code execution in Apache Tapestry
Description
A critical unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability was found all recent versions of Apache Tapestry. The affected versions include 5.4.5, 5.5.0, 5.6.2 and 5.7.0. The vulnerability I have found is a bypass of the fix for CVE-2019-0195. Recap: Before the fix of CVE-2019-0195 it was possible to download arbitrary class files from the classpath by providing a crafted asset file URL. An attacker was able to download the file `AppModule.class` by requesting the URL `http://localhost:8080/assets/something/services/AppModule.class` which contains a HMAC secret key. The fix for that bug was a blacklist filter that checks if the URL ends with `.class`, `.properties` or `.xml`. Bypass: Unfortunately, the blacklist solution can simply be bypassed by appending a `/` at the end of the URL: `http://localhost:8080/assets/something/services/AppModule.class/` The slash is stripped after the blacklist check and the file `AppModule.class` is loaded into the response. This class usually contains the HMAC secret key which is used to sign serialized Java objects. With the knowledge of that key an attacker can sign a Java gadget chain that leads to RCE (e.g. CommonsBeanUtils1 from ysoserial). Solution for this vulnerability: * For Apache Tapestry 5.4.0 to 5.6.2, upgrade to 5.6.3 or later. * For Apache Tapestry 5.7.0, upgrade to 5.7.1 or later.
How to fix CVE-2021-27850
To remediate CVE-2021-27850, upgrade the affected package to a fixed version below.
- —upgrade to 5.6.3 or later
Is CVE-2021-27850 being exploited?
Likely — EPSS is 93.9%, placing CVE-2021-27850 in the top tier of vulnerabilities by exploitation probability. Prioritise patching.
Affected packages (1)
- >= 5.4.0, < 5.6.3