Apache Commons vulnerability

Updated on 2022-10-20: Apache Commons vulnerability in the spotlight after proof-of-concept code becomes available

Security researchers are warning users to patch for a recently disclosed critical vulnerability in Apache Commons Text that could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute code remotely on servers running applications with the affected component. CVE-2022-42889 has a 9.8 out of a possible 10.0 CVSS severity ranking. Proof-of-concept code for the vulnerability is already available, though as of Tuesday, there were no reports of the vulnerability being exploited in the wild. Apache released a patch for this vulnerability back in September though it did not release an advisory on the issue until this week. Researchers and admins have continually focused on Apache software since last year’s Log4Shell vulnerability. Read more: Researchers Keep a Wary Eye on Critical New Vulnerability in Apache Commons Text

Overview: Much ado about nothing

A recently disclosed vulnerability in the Apache Commons Text library (tracked as CVE-2022-42889) has been widely described as the next Log4Shell disaster, but a more in-depth analysis by Rapid7 reveals that this assessment is only misplaced hype. Read more:

• CVE-2022-42889: Apache Commons Text prior to 1.10.0 allows RCE when applied to untrusted input due to insecure interpolation defaults
• CVE-2022-42889: Keep Calm and Stop Saying “4Shell”