dbcve.org
Cxf FedizApplication · Apache

CVE-2016-4464

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-09-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 application plugins in Apache CXF Fediz 1.2.x before 1.2.3 and 1.3.x before 1.3.1 do not match SAML AudienceRestriction values against configured audience URIs, which might allow remote attackers to have bypass intended restrictions and have unspecified other impact via a crafted SAML token with a trusted signature.

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

The Apache CXF Fediz application plugins fail to validate the SAML AudienceRestriction element against configured audience URIs. This allows attackers with a validly signed SAML token from a trusted Identity Provider to bypass audience restrictions and access services not intended for them, as the plugin does not verify that the SAML token was issued for the correct service recipient.

MitigationUpgrade Apache CXF Fediz to version 1.2.3 or later (for 1.2.x) or 1.3.1 or later (for 1.3.x). After upgrading, verify that SAML audience restrictions are now properly enforced by testing with tokens having incorrect audience values.

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
Cxf FedizApplication
Affected:= 1.2.0= 1.2.1= 1.2.2= 1.3.0

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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. Locate Apache CXF Fediz installation
    Search for Fediz JAR files (fediz-*.jar) in your application server's lib directory, webapp folders, or check your Maven/Gradle dependencies for org.apache.cxf.fediz groupId
    Affected if Fediz libraries are present in your environment and used for SAML or WS-Federation authentication
  2. Identify the Fediz version
    Check the version of the fediz-core or fediz-tools JAR file (typically found in META-INF/MANIFEST.MF inside the JAR, or in your build dependency declaration)
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 1.2.0, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, or 1.3.0
  3. Determine if SAML authentication is configured
    Examine your Fediz configuration XML file (usually named fediz-config.xml or located in WEB-INF/fediz-config.xml) and look for a <protocol> element set to SAML
    Affected if The protocol is configured as SAML (urn:oasis:names:tc:SAML:2.0:assertion) rather than WS-Federation
  4. Verify audience restriction configuration exists
    In the Fediz configuration file, check for an <audienceUri> element within the <realm> or <application> section, which defines expected service recipients for SAML tokens
    Affected if An audience URI is configured, indicating audience validation should be enforced but is not performed due to the bug

You are affected if you are running Fediz version 1.2.0, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, or 1.3.0 with SAML-based authentication configured, regardless of whether audience URIs are explicitly defined in your configuration.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Apache CXF Fediz to version 1.2.3 or later (for 1.2.x) or 1.3.1 or later (for 1.3.x). After upgrading, verify that SAML audience restrictions are now properly enforced by testing with tokens having incorrect audience values.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Apache CXF Fediz 1.2.3 or 1.3.1 (or later)

  1. Identify the current version of Apache CXF Fediz in use (1.2.0, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, or 1.3.0)
  2. Stop the affected service or application
  3. Backup the current configuration and deployment
  4. Download Apache CXF Fediz 1.2.3 or 1.3.1 (or a later stable release) from the official Apache CXF distribution
  5. Replace the existing CXF Fediz libraries with the new version
  6. Review and update any custom configurations if needed for compatibility with the new version
  7. Restart the service or application
  8. Verify the SAML AudienceRestriction validation is working correctly by testing with both valid and crafted SAML tokens
Caveat Minor configuration adjustments may be needed; test thoroughly in a staging environment before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Cxf Fediz Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,640
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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-2016-4464 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data