CVE-2022-33980 — commons-configuration2
CRITICALCVE-2022-33980 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) remote code execution vulnerability in org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2. 7 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Commons Configuration insecure interpolation defaults
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2022-33980 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,636 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2Real-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 Commons Configuration performs variable interpolation, allowing properties to be dynamically evaluated and expanded. The standard format for interpolation is "${prefix:name}", where "prefix" is used to locate an instance of org.apache.commons.configuration2.interpol.Lookup that performs the interpolation. Starting with version 2.4 and continuing through 2.7, the set of default Lookup instances included interpolators that could result in arbitrary code execution or contact with remote servers. These lookups are: - "script" - execute expressions using the JVM script execution engine (javax.script) - "dns" - resolve dns records - "url" - load values from urls, including from remote servers Applications using the interpolation defaults in the affected versions may be vulnerable to remote code execution or unintentional contact with remote servers if untrusted configuration values are used. Users are recommended to upgrade to Apache Commons Configuration 2.8.0, which disables the problematic interpolators by default.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2 | ≥ 2.4&&< 2.8.0 | 2.8.0org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2:2.8.0 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Apache Commons Configuration performs variable interpolation, allowing p…
Apache Commons Configuration performs variable interpolation, allowing p…
Apache Commons Configuration performs variable interpolation, allowing p…
Apache Commons Configuration performs variable interpolation, allowing p…
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2 to 2.8.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-33980 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.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2022-33980 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-33980. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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 Hat Satellite embeds affected commons-configuration2 with Candlepin, however, product is not affected since vulnerable org.apache.commons.configuration2.interpol.Lookup is not exposed in code. Product Security has rated this vulnerability Low for Satellite and there is no harm identified to confidentiality,…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| AMQ Broker 7.10.1 | commons-configuration2 | RHSA-2022:6916 |
| Red Hat Fuse 7.11.1 | commons-configuration2 | RHSA-2022:8652 |
| Red Hat Satellite 6.13 for RHEL 8 | candlepin-0:4.2.13-1.el8sat | RHSA-2023:2097 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2022-33980 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-33980 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.