Hibernate ValidatorApplication · Redhat
CVE-2014-3558
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 · uneditedReflectionHelper (org.hibernate.validator.util.ReflectionHelper) in Hibernate Validator 4.1.0 before 4.2.1, 4.3.x before 4.3.2, and 5.x before 5.1.2 allows attackers to bypass Java Security Manager (JSM) restrictions and execute restricted reflection calls via a crafted application.
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 ReflectionHelper class in Hibernate Validator contains a flaw that allows attackers to bypass Java Security Manager (JSM) restrictions. By submitting a crafted application, malicious actors can execute restricted reflection calls that should otherwise be blocked by the security manager, potentially gaining unauthorized access to protected methods or fields.
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
Hibernate ValidatorApplication
>= 4.3.0, < 4.3.2>= 5.0.0, <= 5.0.3>= 5.1.0, < 5.1.2= 4.1.0= 4.2.0CVSS 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
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate Hibernate Validator JAR filesSearch for JAR files containing 'hibernate-validator' in your application lib directory, WAR file, or classpath. Check pom.xml or build.gradle for Hibernate Validator dependencies.Affected if The version falls within any of these ranges: 4.1.0, 4.2.0, >= 4.3.0 and < 4.3.2, >= 5.0.0 and <= 5.0.3, >= 5.1.0 and < 5.1.2
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Determine exact Hibernate Validator versionInspect the JAR manifest (META-INF/MANIFEST.MF) inside the hibernate-validator JAR file, or run: jar -xf hibernate-validator*.jar META-INF/MANIFEST.MF && cat META-INF/MANIFEST.MFAffected if The Implementation-Version or Specification-Version field shows a version matching the affected ranges listed above
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Verify if Java Security Manager is in useCheck JVM startup arguments for -Djava.security.manager or review application server startup scripts for security manager configuration. Run: ps aux | grep java | grep security.managerAffected if Java Security Manager is enabled AND the Hibernate Validator version is vulnerable, since this is the protection mechanism being bypassed
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Identify reflection-heavy code pathsSearch codebase for javax.validation.constraints validation triggers or custom ConstraintValidator implementations that may invoke ReflectionHelper. Check for calls to reflection APIs through Hibernate Validator.Affected if The application performs validation using Hibernate Validator and uses reflection in custom constraints, making the bypass exploitable
You are affected if your environment runs a vulnerable Hibernate Validator version (4.1.0, 4.2.0, 4.3.0-4.3.1, 5.0.0-5.0.3, or 5.1.0-5.1.1) and uses Java Security Manager to restrict reflection operations.
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 data4.3.25.1.2
Upgrade Hibernate Validator to version 4.2.1, 4.3.2, 5.1.2 or later to obtain the patched ReflectionHelper implementation that properly enforces JSM restrictions on reflection operations.
Fix this in Hibernate Validator
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,288.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-3558 — 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-2014-3558 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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