DubboApplication · Apache
CVE-2021-43297
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 · uneditedA deserialization vulnerability existed in dubbo hessian-lite 3.2.11 and its earlier versions, which could lead to malicious code execution. Most Dubbo users use Hessian2 as the default serialization/deserialization protocol, during Hessian catch unexpected exceptions, Hessian will log out some imformation for users, which may cause remote command execution. This issue affects Apache Dubbo Apache Dubbo 2.6.x versions prior to 2.6.12; Apache Dubbo 2.7.x versions prior to 2.7.15; Apache Dubbo 3.0.x versions prior to 3.0.5.
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 confidenceA deserialization vulnerability in Apache Dubbo's hessian-lite library (versions prior to 2.6.12, 2.7.15, or 3.0.5) allows remote command execution. When Hessian2 catches unexpected exceptions during deserialization, it logs information that can be crafted to execute malicious commands, leading to arbitrary code execution on the server.
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
DubboApplication
>= 2.6.0, < 2.6.12>= 2.7.0, < 2.7.15>= 3.0.0, < 3.0.5CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify the installed Dubbo versionLocate the Dubbo dependency in your project pom.xml, build.gradle, or dependency management system. Run 'mvn dependency:tree | grep dubbo' or inspect the JAR manifest if deployed.Affected if The version falls within these ranges: >= 2.6.0 and < 2.6.12, OR >= 2.7.0 and < 2.7.15, OR >= 3.0.0 and < 3.0.5
-
Identify the hessian-lite library versionLocate the hessian-lite dependency in your project build files or inspect the JAR included in the Dubbo distribution. Run 'mvn dependency:tree | grep hessian-lite' or list the contents of the Dubbo lib directory.Affected if The hessian-lite version is older than the version bundled in Dubbo 2.6.12, 2.7.15, or 3.0.5 (the patched releases)
-
Verify if Hessian2 serialization is in useCheck your Dubbo configuration files (dubbo.properties, application.yml, or XML config) for the serialization setting. Look for 'hessian2' or 'hessian' as the value for serialization type, or check the default serialization in your provider/consumer configuration.Affected if Hessian2 is configured as the serialization protocol for Dubbo communications (this is the default in many configurations)
-
Check for exposed Dubbo network endpointsIdentify if Dubbo services are exposed on network ports (typically 20880, 21881, or custom ports). Review your service configuration for 'protocol' and 'port' settings, and verify if these ports are accessible from untrusted networks.Affected if Dubbo services using Hessian2 serialization are exposed on network-accessible ports without network segmentation or authentication
You are affected if your Dubbo version is within any of the three vulnerable ranges AND Hessian2 serialization is enabled and network-accessible.
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.
dbcve · scoped2.6.122.7.153.0.5
Upgrade Dubbo to version 2.6.12+, 2.7.15+, or 3.0.5+ to patch the hessian-lite vulnerability. If immediate upgrade is not possible, implement serialization allowlist controls to restrict which classes can be deserialized.
Dubbo 2.6.12 (or latest 2.6.x), 2.7.15 (or latest 2.7.x), or 3.0.5 (or latest 3.0.x) depending on current branch
- Identify current Dubbo version in use by checking pom.xml or dependency management
- Upgrade Dubbo to the fixed version: for 2.6.x line upgrade to 2.6.12 or later; for 2.7.x line upgrade to 2.7.15 or later; for 3.0.x line upgrade to 3.0.5 or later
- Update the version in pom.xml or build configuration file, for Maven update the <version> in pom.xml or dependency management
- Ensure hessian-lite dependency is also updated to a patched version (3.2.12 or later) if explicitly declared
- Run full test suite to verify application functionality after upgrade
- Deploy to staging environment and validate RPC calls work correctly before production rollout
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Dubbo
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $3,328.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-43297 — 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-2021-43297 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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