QID 980327

QID 980327: Java (maven) Security Update for com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream (GHSA-mw36-7c6c-q4q2)

Security update has been released for com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream to fix the vulnerability.

Note: The preceding description block is extracted directly from the security advisory. Using automation, we have attempted to clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.

The vulnerability may allow a remote attacker to run arbitrary shell commands only by manipulating the processed input stream.

  • CVSS V3 rated as Critical - 8.8 severity.
  • CVSS V2 rated as Critical - 9.3 severity.
  • Solution
    If you rely on XStream's default blacklist of the [Security Framework](https://x-stream.github.io/security.html#framework), you will have to use at least version 1.4.14.Workaround:
    No user is affected, who followed the recommendation to setup XStream's Security Framework with a whitelist! Anyone relying on XStream's default blacklist can immediately switch to a whilelist for the allowed types to avoid the vulnerability.

    Users of XStream 1.4.13 or below who still want to use XStream default blacklist can use a workaround depending on their version in use.

    Users of XStream 1.4.13 can simply add two lines to XStream's setup code:
    ```Java
    xstream.denyTypes(new String[]{ "javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter" });
    xstream.denyTypes(new Class[]{ java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class });
    ```
    Users of XStream 1.4.12 to 1.4.7 who want to use XStream with a black list will have to setup such a list from scratch and deny at least the following types: _javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter_, _java.beans.EventHandler_, _java.lang.ProcessBuilder_, _java.lang.Void_ and _void_.
    ```Java
    xstream.denyTypes(new String[]{ "javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter" });
    xstream.denyTypes(new Class[]{ java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class, java.beans.EventHandler.class, java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class, java.lang.Void.class, void.class });
    ```
    Users of XStream 1.4.6 or below can register an own converter to prevent the unmarshalling of the currently know critical types of the Java runtime. It is in fact an updated version of the workaround for CVE-2013-7285:
    ```Java
    xstream.registerConverter(new Converter() {
    public boolean canConvert(Class type) {
    return type != null && (type == java.beans.EventHandler.class || type == java.lang.ProcessBuilder.class || type == java.lang.Void.class || void.class || type.getName().equals("javax.imageio.ImageIO$ContainsFilter") || Proxy.isProxy(type));
    }

    public Object unmarshal(HierarchicalStreamReader reader, UnmarshallingContext context) {
    throw new ConversionException("Unsupported type due to security reasons.");
    }

    public void marshal(Object source, HierarchicalStreamWriter writer, MarshallingContext context) {
    throw new ConversionException("Unsupported type due to security reasons.");
    }
    }, XStream.PRIORITY_LOW);
    ```
    Vendor References

    CVEs related to QID 980327

    Software Advisories
    Advisory ID Software Component Link
    GHSA-mw36-7c6c-q4q2 com.thoughtworks.xstream:xstream URL Logo github.com/advisories/GHSA-mw36-7c6c-q4q2