GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in com.vaadin:vaadin-bom. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Regular expression denial of service (ReDoS) in EmailValidator class in Vaadin 7
Real-World Exposure
com.vaadin:vaadin-bom☕com.vaadin:vaadin-serverReal-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
Unsafe validation RegEx in EmailValidator class in com.vaadin:vaadin-server versions 7.0.0 through 7.7.21 (Vaadin 7.0.0 through 7.7.21) allows attackers to cause uncontrolled resource consumption by submitting malicious email addresses.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | com.vaadin:vaadin-bom | ≥ 7.0.0.beta1&&< 7.7.22 | 7.7.22 |
| ☕Maven | com.vaadin:vaadin-server | ≥ 7.0.0.beta1&&< 7.7.22 | 7.7.22 |
Research 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 com.vaadin:vaadin-bom. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update com.vaadin:vaadin-bom to 7.7.22 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-42j4-733x-5vcf across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.