Org.apache.sling.servlets.postWeb server / proxy · Apache
CVE-2012-2138
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe @CopyFrom operation in the POST servlet in the org.apache.sling.servlets.post bundle before 2.1.2 in Apache Sling does not prevent attempts to copy an ancestor node to a descendant node, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted HTTP request.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe @CopyFrom operation in Apache Sling's POST servlet lacks validation to prevent copying an ancestor node to a descendant node, which triggers an infinite loop causing denial of service.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Org.apache.sling.servlets.postWeb server / proxy
<= 2.1.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify org.apache.sling.servlets.post bundle versionLocate the org.apache.sling.servlets.post bundle in your OSGi container (e.g., via Apache Felix Web Console, Apache Sling Web Console, or by inspecting your deployed bundles) and record its version numberAffected if The bundle version is 2.1.0 or lower
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Verify POST servlet is deployed and accessibleCheck that the Sling POST servlet is installed and exposed in your environment. This is typically found as part of the org.apache.sling.servlets.post bundle and responds to POST requestsAffected if The POST servlet bundle is present and active in your OSGi runtime
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Confirm @CopyFrom operation is availableThe vulnerability exists in the @CopyFrom operation within the POST servlet. Verify that your application or users have access to the Sling POST servlet endpoint (commonly at /bin/servlet or /system/servlet) which handles POST requests including @CopyFrom commandsAffected if The @CopyFrom operation can be invoked via the POST servlet endpoint in your environment
You are affected if the org.apache.sling.servlets.post bundle version is 2.1.0 or lower AND the POST servlet is accessible for handling @CopyFrom requests.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade the org.apache.sling.servlets.post bundle to version 2.1.2 or later which implements proper ancestor/descendant validation to prevent the infinite loop condition.
Fix this in Org.apache.sling.servlets.post
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,656.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-2138 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-2138 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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