ActivemqApplication · Apache
CVE-2020-1941
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 ActiveMQ 5.0.0 to 5.15.11, the webconsole admin GUI is open to XSS, in the view that lists the contents of a queue.
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 confidenceCross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Apache ActiveMQ web console's queue content listing view. User-supplied input in queue messages is not properly sanitized, allowing execution of malicious JavaScript in the context of an authenticated administrator's session.
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
ActivemqApplication
>= 5.0.0, <= 5.15.11>= 8.0.0, <= 8.2.2= 8.1.1= 8.2.0= 8.2.1= 8.1.1= 8.2.0= 8.2.1= 8.1.1= 8.2.0= 8.2.1= 11.1.1.7.0= 12.0.0= 12.1.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/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 Apache ActiveMQ installation and versionLocate the ActiveMQ installation directory and check the version file (typically VERSION or pom.xml in the root, or the activemq.jar manifest). Common paths include /opt/activemq, /usr/share/activemq, or C:\Program Files\apache-activemq.Affected if The installed version falls within 5.0.0 to 5.15.11 inclusive.
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Confirm the web console is enabledInspect the ActiveMQ configuration for the web console. Check for jetty.xml or jetty-realm.properties files in the conf directory. Look for web console port bindings (default 8161) and the /admin or /api endpoints.Affected if The web console is actively running and accessible on a network-exposed port.
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Verify queue browse functionality is accessibleConfirm the web console queue browsing feature is enabled. Check the web.xml configuration for MessageServlet or queueBrowse paths, and verify the user has admin-level access credentials configured in jetty-realm.properties.Affected if Authenticated administrators can access the queue content listing view through the web console.
Your environment is affected if Apache ActiveMQ version 5.0.0 through 5.15.11 is running with the web console enabled and queue browsing accessible to authenticated administrators.
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 dataUpgrade to Apache ActiveMQ 5.15.12 or later, or disable the web console if not needed. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implement WAF rules to filter malicious script payloads in queue message content.
Fix this in Activemq
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-1941 — 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-2020-1941 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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