TapestryApplication · Apache
CVE-2014-1972
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 · uneditedApache Tapestry before 5.3.6 relies on client-side object storage without checking whether a client has modified an object, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (resource consumption) or execute arbitrary code via crafted serialized data.
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 confidenceApache Tapestry before 5.3.6 has a vulnerability where it stores objects on the client side (in serialized form) and trusts them upon return without integrity verification. Attackers can craft malicious serialized data to cause resource exhaustion (DoS) or achieve remote code execution.
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
TapestryApplication
<= 5.3.5CVSS 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
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
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 Apache Tapestry installation and versionCheck your project dependencies (Maven pom.xml, Gradle build file, or JAR manifest) for the Apache Tapestry version. If running a deployed application, check the tapestry-core JAR file name in the lib or WEB-INF/lib directory for the version number.Affected if The installed version is 5.3.5 or lower (any version up to and including 5.3.5)
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Determine if client-side object serialization is in useSearch your codebase for usage of Tapestry annotations or components that store objects on the client side. Look for patterns such as: @Persist annotations with 'client' strategy, ComponenttPersistentPropertyStorage, or any explicit serialization to client-side state. Check application configuration (usually in AppModule or web.xml) for persistent property strategies.Affected if Client-side persistence strategy (serializing objects to the client) is configured or any @Persist with client strategy is used
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Review application configuration for serialization settingsExamine your Tapestry configuration files (typically AppModule.java or the application properties file) for any configuration related to persistent properties, object serialization, or client-side state management. Look for properties like 'tapestry.persistent-strategy' or similar persistence-related settings.Affected if The application is configured to serialize and store objects in client-side state
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Inspect serialized data in client requestsIf you have access to application traffic or logs, examine requests for serialized data being passed back to the server (often base64 encoded or in hidden form fields). This indicates the client-side object storage feature is active.Affected if The application returns serialized objects to the client and accepts them back without server-side validation
You are affected if your Apache Tapestry version is 5.3.5 or lower AND your application uses client-side object serialization/persistence features to store objects in the client's browser.
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 to Apache Tapestry 5.3.6 or later, which includes proper validation of client-side objects. Additionally, implement server-side validation of deserialized data before use.
Fix this in Tapestry
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $4,864.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-1972 — 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-2014-1972 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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