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Private key leak in Apache CXF

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published May 22, 2020 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Feb 1, 2023

Package

maven org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven)

Affected versions

< 3.2.12
>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.5

Patched versions

3.2.12
3.3.5
maven org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven)
< 3.2.12
>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.5
3.2.12
3.3.5

Description

Apache CXF ships with a OpenId Connect JWK Keys service, which allows a client to obtain the public keys in JWK format, which can then be used to verify the signature of tokens issued by the service. Typically, the service obtains the public key from a local keystore (JKS/PKCS12) by specifing the path of the keystore and the alias of the keystore entry. This case is not vulnerable. However it is also possible to obtain the keys from a JWK keystore file, by setting the configuration parameter rs.security.keystore.type to jwk. For this case all keys are returned in this file "as is", including all private key and secret key credentials. This is an obvious security risk if the user has configured the signature keystore file with private or secret key credentials. From CXF 3.3.5 and 3.2.12, it is mandatory to specify an alias corresponding to the id of the key in the JWK file, and only this key is returned. In addition, any private key information is omitted by default. oct keys, which contain secret keys, are not returned at all.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jan 16, 2020
Reviewed May 22, 2020
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database May 22, 2020
Last updated Feb 1, 2023

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS score

0.232%
(62nd percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2019-12423

GHSA ID

GHSA-42f2-f9vc-6365

Source code

No known source code
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