Wss4jApplication · Apache
CVE-2014-3623
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 WSS4J before 1.6.17 and 2.x before 2.0.2, as used in Apache CXF 2.7.x before 2.7.13 and 3.0.x before 3.0.2, when using TransportBinding, does not properly enforce the SAML SubjectConfirmation method security semantics, which allows remote attackers to conduct spoofing attacks via unspecified vectors.
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 WSS4J before 1.6.17 and 2.x before 2.0.2, when used with Apache CXF 2.7.x before 2.7.13 and 3.0.x before 3.0.2, fails to properly enforce SAML SubjectConfirmation method security semantics when using TransportBinding. This allows remote attackers to conduct spoofing attacks by sending specially crafted SAML assertions that bypass the intended subject confirmation validation.
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
Wss4jApplication
< 1.6.17>= 2.0.0, < 2.0.2
CxfApplication
>= 2.7.0, <= 2.7.13>= 3.0.0, < 3.0.2CVSS 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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Identify WSS4J installationSearch for WSS4J JAR files in your application classpath or dependencies (e.g., wss4j-*.jar, ws-security-*.jar). Check Maven/Gradle dependency trees for org.apache.ws.security:wss4j or org.apache.wss4j:wss4j packages.Affected if WSS4J is present in the environment and its version falls below 1.6.17 or is 2.0.0 through 2.0.1.
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Determine WSS4J versionInspect the MANIFEST.MF file inside the WSS4J JAR, or query your dependency management tool (mvn dependency:tree, gradle dependencies) for the exact version number.Affected if Version is less than 1.6.17, or between 2.0.0 and 2.0.1 inclusive.
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Identify Apache CXF installationSearch for CXF JAR files (cxf-*.jar) or check dependencies for org.apache.cxf:cxf-core, org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-security, or similar CXF packages.Affected if Apache CXF is present and its version is 2.7.0 through 2.7.13, or 3.0.0 through 3.0.1.
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Determine CXF versionInspect the MANIFEST.MF in the CXF JAR, or query your build tool for the org.apache.cxf:cxf-core version.Affected if Version is between 2.7.0 and 2.7.13 inclusive, or between 3.0.0 and 3.0.1 inclusive.
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Check for SAML TransportBinding usageReview your CXF endpoint configurations and WS-Security policy definitions for SAMLToken or SamlAssertion configurations with TransportBinding. Search configuration files for elements like <saml:subject> or TransportBinding assertions.Affected if SAML SubjectConfirmation with TransportBinding is configured for web service endpoints using CXF and WSS4J.
You are affected if both WSS4J (below 1.6.17 or 2.0.0-2.0.1) and CXF (2.7.x up to 2.7.13 or 3.0.x up to 3.0.1) are in use together with SAML TransportBinding configuration.
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 data1.6.172.0.23.0.2
Upgrade WSS4J to version 1.6.17 or 2.0.2 or later, or upgrade Apache CXF to 2.7.13+ or 3.0.2+ which includes the fixed WSS4J version. After upgrade, verify SAML SubjectConfirmation behavior remains correct.
Fix this in Wss4j
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing12.0 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 $7,616.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-3623 — 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-2014-3623 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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