GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2 — dd-java-agent
CRITICALGHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in com.datadoghq:dd-java-agent. A fix is available for com.datadoghq:dd-java-agent — see the affected versions and patch details below.
dd-trace-java: Unsafe deserialization in RMI instrumentation may lead to remote code execution
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2.
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
GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2 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 379,145 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
com.datadoghq:dd-java-agentReal-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
In versions of dd-trace-java prior to 1.60.3, the RMI instrumentation registered a custom endpoint that deserialized incoming data without applying serialization filters. On JDK version 16 and earlier, an attacker with network access to a JMX or RMI port on an instrumented JVM could exploit this to potentially achieve remote code execution. All three of the following conditions must be true to exploit this vulnerability:
- dd-trace-java is attached as a Java agent (
-javaagent) on Java 16 or earlier - A JMX/RMI port has been explicitly configured via
-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.portand is network-reachable - A gadget-chain-compatible library is present on the classpath
Impact
Arbitrary remote code execution with the privileges of the user running the instrumented JVM.
Recommendation
- For JDK >= 17: No action is required, but upgrading is strongly encouraged.
- For JDK >= 8u121 < JDK 17: Upgrade to dd-trace-java version 1.60.3 or later.
- For JDK < 8u121 and earlier where serialization filters are not available, apply the workaround described below.
Workarounds
Set the following environment variable to disable the RMI integration: DD_INTEGRATION_RMI_ENABLED=false
Credits
This vulnerability was responsibly disclosed by Mohamed Amine ait Ouchebou (mrecho) (Indiesecurity) via the Datadog bug bounty program.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | com.datadoghq:dd-java-agent | ≥ 0.40.0&&< 1.60.3 | 1.60.3com.datadoghq:dd-java-agent:1.60.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for com.datadoghq:dd-java-agent, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update com.datadoghq:dd-java-agent to 1.60.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Do not deserialise data from untrusted sources: where the format allows it, restrict deserialisation to an explicit allowlist of expected types, and prefer a data-only format (JSON, Protobuf) over one that can reconstruct arbitrary objects until you can upgrade.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2. 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-579q-h82j-r5v2 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-579q-h82j-r5v2 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.