CVE-2018-15531 in JavaMelody
Summary
by MITRE
JavaMelody before 1.74.0 has XXE via parseSoapMethodName in bull/javamelody/PayloadNameRequestWrapper.java.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/19/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-15531 affects JavaMelody versions prior to 1.74.0 and represents a critical XML External Entity processing flaw that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. This vulnerability resides within the parseSoapMethodName method located in the bull/javamelody/PayloadNameRequestWrapper.java file, which processes SOAP requests without proper input validation mechanisms. The flaw allows attackers to inject malicious XML entities that can be resolved by the underlying XML parser, potentially leading to remote code execution, data exfiltration, or denial of service conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input within the SOAP request handling logic. When JavaMelody processes incoming SOAP messages, it fails to properly validate or escape XML content that contains external entity declarations. This weakness enables attackers to craft malicious SOAP requests containing XML entities that reference external resources, which can be exploited to perform server-side request forgery attacks or to access local files on the server through protocols such as file:// or http://. The vulnerability specifically impacts systems where JavaMelody is used for monitoring web applications and services, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such monitoring tools are commonly deployed.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations using JavaMelody for application performance monitoring and health checks. Attackers can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to monitoring systems, potentially compromising sensitive data collected by JavaMelody including application metrics, user information, and system configurations. The impact extends beyond simple data theft as the vulnerability can be chained with other exploits to establish persistent access or escalate privileges within the monitored application environment. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and follows common attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) and T1041 (Exfiltration Over C2 Channel) techniques.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to JavaMelody version 1.74.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as no effective workarounds exist for the underlying XML parsing implementation. Security teams should also implement network-level controls such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious SOAP traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, comprehensive logging and monitoring of JavaMelody usage should be enhanced to detect anomalous behavior that could indicate successful exploitation. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in web application frameworks and highlights the need for regular security assessments of monitoring and management tools that handle user-provided data. Organizations should also review their overall security posture for similar XML processing vulnerabilities in other components of their infrastructure, as this flaw represents a common pattern that affects many enterprise applications.