GeodeApplication · Apache
CVE-2017-15693
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 · uneditedIn Apache Geode before v1.4.0, the Geode server stores application objects in serialized form. Certain cluster operations and API invocations cause these objects to be deserialized. A user with DATA:WRITE access to the cluster may be able to cause remote code execution if certain classes are present on the classpath.
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 · moderate confidenceApache Geode before v1.4.0 contains a deserialization vulnerability where certain cluster operations and API invocations deserialize user-controlled data. Users with DATA:WRITE access can potentially achieve remote code execution if vulnerable gadget classes (e.g., from Apache Commons Collections, Spring, Groovy) are present on the server's classpath.
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
GeodeApplication
< 1.4.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Apache Geode versionRun 'gfsh version' or check the geode-core JAR manifest, or inspect the classpath for geode-core and its version numberAffected if The version is older than 1.4.0 (e.g., 1.3.x, 1.2.x, 1.1.x)
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Locate gadget libraries on classpathScan the Geode server classpath (lib directory or WAR/WAR-INF/lib) for vulnerable libraries: commons-collections*.jar, spring-*.jar, groovy*.jar, or search for known gadget chain classes like InvokerTransformer, AnnotationInvocationHandler, or Closure.javaAffected if Any of these libraries are present on the server's classpath alongside a vulnerable Geode version
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Verify DATA:WRITE access existsCheck user/group permissions in Geode security configuration (geode-security.xml or security-manager implementation) for DATA:WRITE permissions on regions, or query the cluster configuration for authorized usersAffected if Users or roles with DATA:WRITE permission are defined and can connect to the cluster
You are affected if you run Apache Geode versions before 1.4.0, have gadget libraries like commons-collections, Spring, or Groovy on your classpath, and allow users with DATA:WRITE access to deserialize data through Geode 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 data1.4.0
Upgrade Apache Geode to v1.4.0 or later and audit the classpath to remove or block known deserialization gadget classes; implement serialization whitelisting via Geode's serialization deny-list features.
Fix this in Geode
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 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 $11,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-15693 — 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-2017-15693 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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