GHSA-72w9-fcj5-3fcg
CRITICALGHSA-72w9-fcj5-3fcg is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in org.apache.shiro:shiro-core. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-72w9-fcj5-3fcg is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Improper Authentication in Apache Shiro
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.shiro:shiro-coreReal-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 Shiro is a powerful and easy-to-use Java security framework that performs authentication, authorization, cryptography, and session management. Apache Shiro before 1.5.3, when using Apache Shiro with Spring dynamic controllers, a specially crafted request may cause an authentication bypass.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.shiro:shiro-core | all versions | 1.5.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.shiro:shiro-core. 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 org.apache.shiro:shiro-core to 1.5.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-72w9-fcj5-3fcg 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-72w9-fcj5-3fcg 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-72w9-fcj5-3fcg. 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.
Whilst the OpenDaylight version that is included in Red Hat OpenStack Platform includes the affected code, the vulnerable functionality is not used and therefore not exploitable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-72w9-fcj5-3fcg in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-72w9-fcj5-3fcg across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.