CVE-2025-49574 in quarkus
Summary
by MITRE • 06/23/2025
Quarkus is a Cloud Native, (Linux) Container First framework for writing Java applications. In versions prior to 3.24.1, 3.20.2, and 3.15.6, there is a potential data leak when duplicating a duplicated context. Quarkus extensively uses the Vert.x duplicated context to implement context propagation. With the new semantic data from one transaction can leak to the data from another transaction. From a Vert.x point of view, this new semantic clarifies the behavior. A significant amount of data is stored in the duplicated context, including request scope, security details, and metadata. Duplicating a duplicated context is rather rare and is only done in a few places. This issue has been patched in version 3.24.1, 3.20.2, and 3.15.6.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/22/2025
CVE-2025-49574 represents a critical data leakage vulnerability within the Quarkus framework that affects versions prior to 3.24.1, 3.20.2, and 3.15.6. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of Vert.x duplicated contexts within Quarkus's cloud-native architecture, where the framework extensively relies on Vert.x's context propagation mechanisms to maintain transactional state across asynchronous operations. The flaw occurs when a context that has already been duplicated is duplicated again, creating a scenario where sensitive data from one transaction can inadvertently leak into another transaction's context. This issue specifically impacts the request scope, security details, and metadata stored within Vert.x's context objects, which are fundamental to maintaining application state and security boundaries in distributed systems. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 (Run-time Application Blocker) as it enables unauthorized data access through context manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits Quarkus's use of Vert.x's context duplication feature, which is designed to propagate execution context across asynchronous boundaries. When a context is duplicated for the first time, it creates a copy of the original context's data. However, when this already-duplicated context undergoes a second duplication operation, the framework fails to properly isolate the data, allowing cross-contamination between different transactional contexts. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of context isolation and data separation that are essential for maintaining secure multi-tenant applications and preventing information leakage between concurrent operations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because Vert.x contexts contain sensitive information including authentication tokens, session data, and request-specific metadata that should remain isolated between different transactional operations. The rarity of this specific duplication pattern means that the vulnerability may not be immediately apparent during normal application operation, but it becomes exploitable when the specific sequence of context operations occurs.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-49574 extends beyond simple data leakage to encompass potential security breaches in cloud-native applications that rely on Quarkus's asynchronous processing capabilities. Applications using affected Quarkus versions may experience unauthorized access to sensitive data, including user credentials, personal information, and business-critical metadata that could be exposed across different transaction boundaries. This vulnerability particularly affects microservices architectures where context propagation is frequent and complex, as the likelihood of encountering the specific duplication scenario increases. The security implications are compounded by the fact that this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers who understand the application's asynchronous processing patterns and can craft requests that trigger the problematic context duplication sequence. Organizations running Quarkus applications in production environments face significant risk of data breaches and compliance violations, particularly in regulated industries where data isolation is mandatory.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-49574 require immediate patching of affected Quarkus versions to 3.24.1, 3.20.2, or 3.15.6 where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper context isolation mechanisms. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their Quarkus-based applications to identify potential exploitation vectors and monitor for unusual data access patterns that might indicate successful exploitation. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict context validation procedures, monitoring asynchronous processing patterns, and ensuring that security-sensitive data is properly isolated within application contexts. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing proper data isolation during context duplication operations, preventing the cross-contamination of transactional data that was previously possible. Security teams should also review their application's use of Vert.x context features to ensure that they are not inadvertently creating conditions that could lead to the vulnerable duplication patterns. This vulnerability highlights the importance of proper context management in asynchronous applications and reinforces the need for comprehensive testing of edge cases in concurrent processing scenarios, particularly in cloud-native environments where context propagation is fundamental to application behavior.