CVE-2020-1954 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache CXF JMX Integration is vulnerable to a MITM attack
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2020-1954 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 385,987 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-managementReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Apache CXF has the ability to integrate with JMX by registering an InstrumentationManager extension with the CXF bus. If the ‘createMBServerConnectorFactory‘ property of the default InstrumentationManagerImpl is not disabled, then it is vulnerable to a man-in-the-middle (MITM) style attack. An attacker on the same host can connect to the registry and rebind the entry to another server, thus acting as a proxy to the original. They are then able to gain access to all of the information that is sent and received over JMX.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management | all versions | 3.2.13org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management:3.2.13 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management | ≥ 3.3.0&&< 3.3.6 | 3.3.6org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management:3.3.6 |
Affected Products
cxfapacheoncommand workflow automationnetappsnapmanagernetappcommunications diameter signaling routeroraclecommunications diameter signaling router idih\oraclecommunications element manageroracleResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-management to 3.2.13 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-1954 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| EAP 7.3.3 | cxf-core | RHSA-2020:4247 |
| EAP-CD 20 Tech Preview | cxf-core | RHSA-2020:3585 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 7.3 for RHEL 6 | eap7-activemq-artemis-0:2.9.0-5.redhat_00011.1.el6eap | RHSA-2020:4244 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 7.3 for RHEL 7 | eap7-activemq-artemis-0:2.9.0-5.redhat_00011.1.el7eap | RHSA-2020:4246 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 7.3 for RHEL 8 | eap7-activemq-artemis-0:2.9.0-5.redhat_00011.1.el8eap | RHSA-2020:4245 |
| Red Hat Single Sign-On 7.4.3 | cxf-core | RHSA-2020:4931 |
| RHDM 7.9.0 | cxf-core | RHSA-2020:4960 |
| RHPAM 7.9.0 | cxf-core | RHSA-2020:4961 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2020-1954 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.