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OpenjpaApplication · Apache

CVE-2013-1768

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-07-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
The BrokerFactory functionality in Apache OpenJPA 1.x before 1.2.3 and 2.x before 2.2.2 creates local executable JSP files containing logging trace data produced during deserialization of certain crafted OpenJPA objects, which makes it easier for remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by creating a serialized object and leveraging improperly secured server programs.

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 OpenJPA BrokerFactory deserializes crafted OpenJPA objects and writes logging trace data to local executable JSP files, enabling remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution through the created JSP shells. The vulnerability stems from unsafe deserialization combined with predictable file placement in web-accessible directories.

MitigationUpgrade Apache OpenJPA to version 1.2.3 or later (1.x) or 2.2.2 or later (2.x). Additionally, restrict network access to vulnerable endpoints and implement deserialization allowlists to prevent untrusted object injection.

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
OpenjpaApplication
Affected:= 1.0.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.0.3= 1.0.4= 1.1.0= 1.2.0= 1.2.1= 1.2.2= 2.0.0= 2.0.1= 2.1.0

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
Partial

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

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

  1. Identify Apache OpenJPA version
    Locate the openjpa jar file in your application classpath or WEB-INF/lib directory and determine its version. Check your build configuration (Maven pom.xml, Gradle build.gradle) for the openjpa dependency version, or use 'jar -xf' to inspect the manifest file inside the openjpa jar.
    Affected if The installed version is 1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.0.2, 1.0.3, 1.0.4, 1.1.0, 1.2.0, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 2.0.0, 2.0.1, or 2.1.0
  2. Verify BrokerFactory deserialization is in use
    Search your application code for usage of org.apache.openjpa.BrokerFactory or look for persistence.xml files that specify 'org.apache.openjpa.persistence.PersistenceProviderImpl' as the JPA provider. Check if your application accepts OpenJPA serialized objects from external sources.
    Affected if Your application uses OpenJPA BrokerFactory and accepts deserialized objects from untrusted input sources
  3. Inspect logging configuration for web-accessible paths
    Review your logging configuration files (log4j.xml, log4j.properties, logback.xml) or OpenJPA-specific trace settings. Identify the directory where OpenJPA trace or logging output is written. Check if this directory is within the web application root or otherwise web-accessible.
    Affected if OpenJPA logging or trace output is configured to write to a directory that is accessible via HTTP (such as the webapp root or static content directories)
  4. Confirm network exposure of vulnerable endpoints
    Review your application network endpoints and interfaces. Determine if there are any HTTP endpoints, RMI services, or other network interfaces that accept and deserialize OpenJPA objects from remote clients without authentication or validation.
    Affected if The application exposes network-accessible endpoints that accept untrusted serialized objects without input validation

You are affected if you run any of the listed OpenJPA versions AND your application deserializes OpenJPA objects from untrusted sources AND writes OpenJPA logs to a web-accessible directory.

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 OpenJPA to version 1.2.3 or later (1.x) or 2.2.2 or later (2.x). Additionally, restrict network access to vulnerable endpoints and implement deserialization allowlists to prevent untrusted object injection.

Fix this in Openjpa Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,300
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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-2013-1768 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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