dbcve.org
CxfApplication · Apache

CVE-2012-5575

MEDIUM · 6.4 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-08-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Apache CXF 2.5.x before 2.5.10, 2.6.x before CXF 2.6.7, and 2.7.x before CXF 2.7.4 does not verify that a specified cryptographic algorithm is allowed by the WS-SecurityPolicy AlgorithmSuite definition before decrypting, which allows remote attackers to force CXF to use weaker cryptographic algorithms than intended and makes it easier to decrypt communications, aka "XML Encryption backwards compatibility attack."

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 confidence

Apache CXF versions 2.5.x before 2.5.10, 2.6.x before 2.6.7, and 2.7.x before 2.7.4 fail to validate that cryptographic algorithms used in XML decryption comply with the WS-SecurityPolicy AlgorithmSuite definition. This allows an attacker to force the use of weaker algorithms by specifying them in encrypted content, enabling a 'XML Encryption backwards compatibility attack' that weakens confidentiality.

MitigationUpgrade Apache CXF to version 2.5.10, 2.6.7, or 2.7.4 or later. If upgrade is not immediately possible, audit WS-SecurityPolicy configurations to ensure AlgorithmSuite constraints are explicitly defined and consider network-level controls to block downgrade attempts.

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
CxfApplication
Affected:= 2.5.0= 2.5.1= 2.5.2= 2.5.3= 2.5.4= 2.5.5= 2.5.6= 2.5.7= 2.5.8= 2.5.9= 2.6.0= 2.6.1
Jboss Enterprise Application PlatformApplication
Affected:= 5.0.0
Jboss Enterprise Portal PlatformApplication
Affected:= 4.3.0
Jboss Enterprise Soa PlatformApplication
Affected:= 4.3.0
Jboss Enterprise Web PlatformApplication
Affected:= 5.2.0
Jboss Fuse Esb EnterpriseApplication
Affected:= 7.1.0

CVSS 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
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache CXF version
    Locate the CXF JAR files (cxf-*.jar) in your application's classpath or lib directory and examine the version number in the filename. Alternatively, check the MANIFEST.MF file inside the CXF JAR for the Implementation-Version attribute.
    Affected if The version is 2.5.x before 2.5.10, 2.6.x before 2.6.7, or 2.7.x before 2.7.4, or if the version cannot be determined but falls within these ranges.
  2. Confirm WS-SecurityPolicy is in use
    Review your application configuration files (such as XML configuration files, WSDL files with WS-Policy assertions, or Spring/Blueprint configuration files) for the presence of WS-SecurityPolicy elements, specifically the AlgorithmSuite policy definition.
    Affected if WS-SecurityPolicy is configured for XML encryption or digital signatures without an explicit AlgorithmSuite definition, or the AlgorithmSuite allows algorithm negotiation.
  3. Inspect AlgorithmSuite configuration
    Examine your WS-SecurityPolicy configuration for the AlgorithmSuite element. Look for whether a specific algorithm suite (such as Basic256, TripleDes, or custom) is explicitly defined, or if the configuration relies on defaults or allows client-specified algorithms.
    Affected if The AlgorithmSuite is not explicitly defined or allows unspecified algorithms that could be downgraded by an attacker.
  4. Check for Red Hat JBoss products
    If using Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform, Portal Platform, SOA Platform, Web Platform, or Fuse ESB Enterprise, identify the CXF version bundled with the product by checking the included libraries or release notes.
    Affected if The bundled CXF version falls within the affected version ranges listed (EAP 5.0.0, Portal 4.3.0, SOA 4.3.0, Web 5.2.0, Fuse 7.1.0).

You are affected if your environment runs Apache CXF versions 2.5.x before 2.5.10, 2.6.x before 2.6.7, or 2.7.x before 2.7.4 (or corresponding Red Hat product versions) AND uses WS-SecurityPolicy for XML encryption without explicitly defined AlgorithmSuite constraints.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Apache CXF to version 2.5.10, 2.6.7, or 2.7.4 or later. If upgrade is not immediately possible, audit WS-SecurityPolicy configurations to ensure AlgorithmSuite constraints are explicitly defined and consider network-level controls to block downgrade attempts.

Fix this in Cxf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-5575 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data