How severe is CVE-2021-30468?

CVE-2021-30468 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2021-30468?

CVE-2021-30468 affects the following packages: org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven), org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven), org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven), org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2021-30468?

Update org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf to 3.4.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-30468 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2021-30468 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2021-30468 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.

Is CVE-2021-30468 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2021-30468 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2021-30468?

CVE-2021-30468 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 7.0%, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2021-30468?

CVE-2021-30468 is classified as Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (CWE-400), CWE-835 (CWE-835). These weakness types describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2021-30468 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2021-30468 was published on June 16, 2021 and was last updated on October 24, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2021-30468 — apache-cxf

HIGH

CVE-2021-30468 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf. A fix is available for org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Infinite loop in Apache CFX

Also known asGHSA-g23v-p5jq-jvh4

Published

Jun 16, 2021

Updated

Oct 24, 2026

Affected

4 pkgs

Patched

4 / 4

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 1, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

7.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs94th percentile — riskier than 94% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

4 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf☕org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf☕org.apache.cxf:cxf☕org.apache.cxf:cxf

Real-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

A vulnerability in the JsonMapObjectReaderWriter of Apache CXF allows an attacker to submit malformed JSON to a web service, which results in the thread getting stuck in an infinite loop, consuming CPU indefinitely. This issue affects Apache CXF versions prior to 3.4.4; Apache CXF versions prior to 3.3.11.

Affected Packages

4 total 4 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf`	≥ 3.4.0&&< 3.4.4	3.4.4`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf:3.4.4`
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf`	all versions	3.3.11`org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf:3.3.11`
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:cxf`	≥ 3.4.0&&< 3.4.4	3.4.4`org.apache.cxf:cxf:3.4.4`
☕Maven	`org.apache.cxf:cxf`	all versions	3.3.11`org.apache.cxf:cxf:3.3.11`

Affected Products

5 products · 9 configurations

Application

cxfapache

≥ 3.4.0 && < 3.4.4

range

Application

tomeeapache

1 version

8.0.6

Application

business intelligenceoracle

4 versions

5.5.0.0.05.9.0.0.012.2.1.3.012.2.1.4.0

Application

communications element manageroracle

1 version

8.2.2

communications messaging serveroracle

1 version

8.1

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf to 3.4.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2021-30468 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.

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.

Red HatModerate

In OpenShift Container Platform (OCP) the openshift4/ose-logging-elasticsearch6 container bundles the vulnerable version of apache-cxf, but OCP 4.6 is Out Of Support Scope (OOSS) for Moderate and Low impact vulnerabilities because it is now in the Maintenance Phase of the support, hence this component is marked as…

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
JWS 5.7.0	`cxf-rt-rs-json-basic`	RHSA-2022:7273
Red Hat Fuse 7.10	`cxf-rt-rs-json-basic`	RHSA-2021:5134
Red Hat Integration	`cxf-rt-rs-json-basic`	RHSA-2021:3205

Frequently Asked Questions

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2021-30468 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

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CVE-2021-30468 — apache-cxf

EPSS Exploitation Probability

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

Description

Affected Packages

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Fix

Workarounds

Fixing This On Your OS

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2021-30468 in your dependencies?