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Santuario Xml Security For JavaApplication · Apache

CVE-2023-44483

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-10-20
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.2.6 / 2.3.4 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
All versions of Apache Santuario - XML Security for Java prior to 2.2.6, 2.3.4, and 3.0.3, when using the JSR 105 API, are vulnerable to an issue where a private key may be disclosed in log files when generating an XML Signature and logging with debug level is enabled. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.2.6, 2.3.4, or 3.0.3, which fixes this issue.

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 Santuario - XML Security for Java versions prior to 2.2.6, 2.3.4, and 3.0.3 contain an information disclosure vulnerability in the JSR 105 API implementation. When generating XML signatures with debug-level logging enabled, the private key used for signing is written to log files, exposing cryptographic credentials that should remain confidential.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache Santuario version 2.2.6, 2.3.4, or 3.0.3. Additionally, ensure debug logging is disabled in production environments as a defense-in-depth measure.

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
Santuario Xml Security For JavaApplication
Affected:< 2.2.6>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.4>= 3.0.0, < 3.0.3

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache Santuario version
    Locate the santuario-xmlsec-java library in your project dependencies (check pom.xml, build.gradle, or the JAR file name in your lib/ directory). Common artifact IDs include xmlsec, santuario-xmlsec-java, or apache-santuario-xmlsec. Note the exact version number.
    Affected if version is less than 2.2.6, or between 2.3.0 and 2.3.3 inclusive, or between 3.0.0 and 3.0.2 inclusive
  2. Confirm debug logging is active
    Review your logging configuration files (log4j.xml, log4j2.xml, logback.xml, or logging.properties) for the root logger or the org.apache.xml.security package logger. Verify the log level is set to DEBUG, TRACE, or ALL.
    Affected if debug-level logging (DEBUG, TRACE, or ALL) is enabled for the application or specifically for org.apache.xml.security package
  3. Identify JSR 105 API usage
    Search your codebase for imports of javax.xml.crypto.dsig, org.jcp.xml.dsig.internal, or usage of XMLSignatureFactory and SignedInfo classes. Look for code that creates XML signatures using the JSR 105 API.
    Affected if your application uses javax.xml.crypto.dsig or related JSR 105 API classes to generate XML signatures

You are affected if you run a vulnerable version of Apache Santuario AND use the JSR 105 API to sign XML documents AND have debug logging enabled, as the private key may be written to log files.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.2.6 / 2.3.4 / 3.0.3 or later
Fixed in 2.2.62.3.43.0.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache Santuario version 2.2.6, 2.3.4, or 3.0.3. Additionally, ensure debug logging is disabled in production environments as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.2.6, 2.3.4, or 3.0.3 (depending on current major/minor version branch)

  1. Identify the current version of Apache Santuario - XML Security for Java in use by checking project dependencies (e.g., pom.xml, build.gradle, or JAR manifest)
  2. Determine which version branch is in use (2.2.x, 2.3.x, or 3.0.x)
  3. Upgrade to the appropriate fixed version: 2.2.6 if using 2.2.x, 2.3.4 if using 2.3.x, or 3.0.3 if using 3.0.x
  4. Update the dependency version in build configuration (pom.xml, build.gradle, etc.)
  5. Rebuild the project and verify the new version is in use
  6. Ensure logging configuration does not expose sensitive data at debug level as a defense-in-depth measure
Caveat Minor/patch releases typically contain only bug fixes; consult Apache Santuario release notes for any migration notes between major versions

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

Fix this in Santuario Xml Security For Java Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2023-44483 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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