CVE-2024-45772 in Lucene
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2024
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Apache Lucene Replicator.
This issue affects Apache Lucene's replicator module: from 4.4.0 before 9.12.0. The deprecated org.apache.lucene.replicator.http package is affected. The org.apache.lucene.replicator.nrt package is not affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 9.12.0, which fixes the issue.
Java serialization filters (such as -Djdk.serialFilter='!*' on the commandline) can mitigate the issue on vulnerable versions without impacting functionality.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2024
The vulnerability CVE-2024-45772 represents a critical deserialization of untrusted data flaw within Apache Lucene's replicator module, specifically impacting versions from 4.4.0 through 9.11.0. This security weakness resides in the deprecated org.apache.lucene.replicator.http package, which processes data from remote sources that could be manipulated by attackers. The affected component operates as part of Lucene's replication infrastructure, enabling distributed search capabilities across multiple nodes while maintaining synchronized indexes. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of serialized data received through HTTP-based replication mechanisms, creating potential attack vectors for remote code execution and system compromise. The issue is classified under CWE-502, which specifically addresses deserialization of untrusted data, a well-known category of vulnerabilities that has historically led to severe security breaches in enterprise applications. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1210, which involves exploiting deserialization vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to systems.
The technical flaw manifests when the Lucene replicator processes serialized objects from remote sources without adequate input sanitization or validation. Attackers can craft malicious serialized payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable replicator, execute arbitrary code on the target system. The exploitation occurs through the HTTP-based replication protocol where serialized data is transmitted between Lucene nodes to maintain consistent index states. The vulnerability's impact is particularly severe because it allows remote attackers to execute code with the privileges of the Lucene process, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The affected version range spans multiple major releases, indicating this flaw has persisted for an extended period and affects organizations running legacy Lucene implementations. The fact that the org.apache.lucene.replicator.nrt package remains unaffected suggests the vulnerability is specific to the HTTP-based replication mechanism rather than the broader replication framework.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond immediate code execution capabilities to encompass significant business continuity risks. Organizations utilizing Lucene-based search solutions with HTTP replication enabled face potential data breaches, system outages, and unauthorized access to sensitive information. The deprecated nature of the affected package does not diminish the severity, as many enterprises continue to operate legacy systems that have not been migrated to newer versions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to establish persistent backdoors, exfiltrate data, or disrupt search services that may be critical to business operations. The vulnerability affects distributed search architectures where multiple Lucene nodes maintain synchronized indexes through HTTP replication, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such configurations are common. The potential for cascading failures across replicated systems amplifies the overall risk assessment, as compromise of a single node could propagate to the entire replication cluster.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to Apache Lucene version 9.12.0, which includes patches addressing the deserialization vulnerability. This upgrade path ensures complete protection against the identified threat while maintaining full backward compatibility for existing applications. System administrators should also implement defensive measures such as deploying Java serialization filters with command-line parameters like -Djdk.serialFilter='!*' to mitigate exploitation attempts on vulnerable versions. These filters effectively block deserialization of potentially malicious objects without disrupting normal application functionality. The mitigation strategy should include network-level restrictions to limit HTTP replication traffic to trusted sources only, combined with regular security assessments of Lucene-based systems. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive inventory audits to identify all systems running vulnerable Lucene versions and implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The remediation approach should also consider the deprecated status of the affected package, potentially encouraging migration to more modern replication mechanisms or alternative search solutions that do not rely on vulnerable deserialization patterns.