CVE-2017-8045 in Spring AMQP
Summary
by MITRE
In Pivotal Spring AMQP versions prior to 1.7.4, 1.6.11, and 1.5.7, an org.springframework.amqp.core.Message may be unsafely deserialized when being converted into a string. A malicious payload could be crafted to exploit this and enable a remote code execution attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/10/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-8045 represents a critical security flaw within Pivotal Spring AMQP messaging framework that affects multiple version lines including 1.5.7, 1.6.11, and 1.7.4. This issue stems from improper handling of message deserialization processes within the Spring AMQP library, creating a pathway for remote code execution attacks through carefully crafted malicious payloads. The vulnerability specifically targets the conversion process of org.springframework.amqp.core.Message objects into string representations, where the underlying deserialization mechanism fails to properly validate or sanitize incoming data before processing.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker sends a specially crafted message through the AMQP protocol to a vulnerable Spring application. During the message conversion process, the system attempts to deserialize the payload without adequate security controls, allowing malicious serialized objects to execute arbitrary code on the target system. This deserialization flaw enables attackers to leverage the Java serialization mechanism to inject and execute malicious code remotely, bypassing normal security boundaries and potentially gaining full control over the affected server. The vulnerability falls under CWE-502, which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through network-based attacks without requiring authentication or local access.
The operational impact of CVE-2017-8045 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it can lead to complete system compromise and data exfiltration. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Spring AMQP are at risk of unauthorized access to their messaging infrastructure, potential data breaches, and service disruption. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where Spring AMQP is commonly used for inter-application communication, as it can enable attackers to move laterally within networks and escalate privileges. The attack vector requires minimal user interaction since it operates through the message queue system itself, making it difficult to detect and prevent through traditional network monitoring approaches. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for remote code execution and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage, demonstrating how the flaw can be leveraged through legitimate messaging protocols to achieve malicious objectives.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Spring AMQP including 1.5.7, 1.6.11, and 1.7.4 to address this vulnerability. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to restrict access to message queue systems, enabling strict access controls and authentication mechanisms, and monitoring for unusual message patterns or deserialization activities. Security teams should also consider implementing application whitelisting policies and restricting the ability of applications to deserialize arbitrary objects from untrusted sources. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation in distributed messaging systems, particularly when dealing with serialized data that may originate from external sources. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other components of the messaging infrastructure that may be susceptible to similar deserialization attacks.