dbcve.org
SynapseApplication · Apache

CVE-2017-15708

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2017-12-11
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
In Apache Synapse, by default no authentication is required for Java Remote Method Invocation (RMI). So Apache Synapse 3.0.1 or all previous releases (3.0.0, 2.1.0, 2.0.0, 1.2, 1.1.2, 1.1.1) allows remote code execution attacks that can be performed by injecting specially crafted serialized objects. And the presence of Apache Commons Collections 3.2.1 (commons-collections-3.2.1.jar) or previous versions in Synapse distribution makes this exploitable. To mitigate the issue, we need to limit RMI access to trusted users only. Further upgrading to 3.0.1 version will eliminate the risk of having said Commons Collection version. In Synapse 3.0.1, Commons Collection has been updated to 3.2.2 version.

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

Apache Synapse has no authentication required for RMI by default, allowing remote attackers to inject specially crafted serialized objects for remote code execution. The vulnerability is exacerbated by the presence of Apache Commons Collections 3.2.1 or earlier which contains known deserialization gadgets.

MitigationImplement RMI access controls to limit exposure to trusted users, and upgrade to Synapse 3.0.1+ which contains the patched Commons Collections 3.2.2 version.

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
SynapseApplication
Affected:= 1.0= 1.1= 1.1.1= 1.1.2= 1.2= 2.0.0= 2.1.0= 3.0.0
Financial Services Market Risk Measurement And ManagementApplication
Affected:= 8.0.6= 8.0.8
Peoplesoft Enterprise PeopletoolsApplication
Affected:= 8.56= 8.57

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:3.1/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. Identify Apache Synapse version
    Locate the Synapse installation and check the version file, manifest, or about dialog. Common locations include the release notes, version.properties, or the JAR manifest. Compare the installed version against the affected list: 1.0, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2, 2.0.0, 2.1.0, 3.0.0
    Affected if The installed version is any of: 1.0, 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2, 2.0.0, 2.1.0, or 3.0.0
  2. Check if RMI is enabled
    Examine Synapse configuration files (synapse.xml, axis2.xml, or similar) for RMI-related settings. Look for RMI connector definitions, JRMPRemoteEngine entries, or RMI service port configurations. Also check if RMI is listed in enabled transports.
    Affected if RMI transport or endpoint is enabled and configured in Synapse
  3. Locate Commons Collections library
    Search the Synapse lib or classpath directory for commons-collections*.jar files. Check the filename and inspect the JAR manifest or contained version properties to determine the exact version number.
    Affected if Commons Collections version 3.2.1 or earlier is present in the Synapse classpath

The environment is affected if Synapse version is 1.0 through 3.0.0 AND RMI is enabled without authentication controls AND Commons Collections 3.2.1 or earlier is present in the classpath.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement RMI access controls to limit exposure to trusted users, and upgrade to Synapse 3.0.1+ which contains the patched Commons Collections 3.2.2 version.

Fix this in Synapse Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
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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-2017-15708 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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