dbcve.org
JmeterApplication · Apache

CVE-2018-1287

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-02-14
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 JMeter 2.X and 3.X, when using Distributed Test only (RMI based), jmeter server binds RMI Registry to wildcard host. This could allow an attacker to get Access to JMeterEngine and send unauthorized code.

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

In Apache JMeter 2.X and 3.X, when using Distributed Test mode (RMI-based), the JMeter server binds the RMI Registry to a wildcard host (0.0.0.0) instead of a specific network interface. This misconfiguration exposes the RMI registry to untrusted networks, allowing remote attackers to access the JMeterEngine and inject unauthorized code for remote code execution.

MitigationBind the JMeter RMI registry to a specific host interface (not wildcard) in jmeter.properties, or upgrade to a patched JMeter version that fixes this RMI binding behavior.

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
JmeterApplication
Affected:= 2.1= 2.2= 2.3= 2.3.1= 2.3.2= 2.3.3= 2.3.4= 2.4= 2.5= 2.5.1= 2.6= 2.7

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. Identify JMeter version
    Run 'jmeter --version' or check the lib directory for the JMeter jar file name. The version is typically shown in the output or can be found in the jar filename.
    Affected if The installed version is any of: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3, 2.3.4, 2.4, 2.5, 2.5.1, 2.6, or 2.7.
  2. Determine if Distributed Test mode is enabled
    Look for the file 'jmeter.properties' or 'user.properties' and search for RMI-related properties such as 'server.rmi.ssl.disable', 'java.rmi.server.hostname', or properties containing 'rmi.port'. Also check if the script is launched with server mode flags.
    Affected if RMI-related properties exist in the configuration or JMeter is started in server mode, indicating distributed testing is configured.
  3. Check RMI registry bind address configuration
    In jmeter.properties, search for the property 'server.rmi.bind' or 'rmi.registry.bind'. If these properties are not present, the default behavior binds to all interfaces (0.0.0.0). Check system properties passed at startup for any RMI binding configuration.
    Affected if The property 'server.rmi.bind' is either not set or is set to '0.0.0.0', or no specific interface IP is configured for RMI binding.
  4. Verify network exposure
    Check which network interfaces the JMeter server process is listening on. Use commands like 'netstat -anp' or 'ss -tlnp' on Linux, or 'netstat -an' on Windows, looking for the RMI port (default 1099) bound to '0.0.0.0' or '*'.
    Affected if The RMI registry port (typically 1099) is listening on 0.0.0.0 or a wildcard address, indicating exposure to untrusted networks.

You are affected if you run any of the listed JMeter versions (2.1 through 2.7) in distributed test mode and the RMI registry is bound to a wildcard address (0.0.0.0) or no specific bind address is configured, exposing it to untrusted networks.

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

Bind the JMeter RMI registry to a specific host interface (not wildcard) in jmeter.properties, or upgrade to a patched JMeter version that fixes this RMI binding behavior.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apache JMeter 3.3 or later (e.g., 3.3, 4.0, latest stable)

  1. 1. Download Apache JMeter 3.3 or later from the official Apache JMeter website (https://jmeter.apache.org/)
  2. 2. Back up your existing JMeter installation and test plans
  3. 3. Install the new version by extracting the downloaded archive to your desired location
  4. 4. Copy your test plans and any custom configurations from the backup to the new installation
  5. 5. For distributed testing, explicitly set the RMI bind address in jmeter.properties or on the command line using -Djava.rmi.server.hostname=<specific_IP> to prevent binding to wildcard addresses
  6. 6. Verify the configuration by starting the JMeter server in distributed mode and confirming it binds to the expected interface
Caveat Minimal risk; ensure any custom plugins are compatible with the new version before production deployment

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

Fix this in Jmeter Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2018-1287 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
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data