GHSA-7rjr-3q55-vv33
CRITICALIncomplete fix for Apache Log4j vulnerability
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.
Blast Radius
org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core☕org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core☕org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2☕org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2☕org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2☕org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2Real-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
Impact
The fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15.0 was incomplete in certain non-default configurations. This could allow attackers with control over Thread Context Map (MDC) input data when the logging configuration uses a non-default Pattern Layout with either a Context Lookup (for example, $${ctx:loginId}) or a Thread Context Map pattern (%X, %mdc, or %MDC) to craft malicious input data using a JNDI Lookup pattern resulting in a remote code execution (RCE) attack.
Affected packages
Only the org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core package is directly affected by this vulnerability. The org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-api should be kept at the same version as the org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core package to ensure compatability if in use.
Mitigation
Log4j 2.16.0 fixes this issue by removing support for message lookup patterns and disabling JNDI functionality by default. This issue can be mitigated in prior releases (< 2.16.0) by removing the JndiLookup class from the classpath (example: zip -q -d log4j-core-*.jar org/apache/logging/log4j/core/lookup/JndiLookup.class).
Log4j 2.15.0 restricts JNDI LDAP lookups to localhost by default. Note that previous mitigations involving configuration such as to set the system property log4j2.formatMsgNoLookups to true do NOT mitigate this specific vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core | ≥ 2.13.0&&< 2.16.0 | 2.16.0 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core | all versions | 2.12.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2 | ≥ 1.8.0&&< 1.9.2 | 1.9.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2 | ≥ 1.10.0&&< 1.10.8 | 1.10.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2 | ≥ 1.11.0&&< 1.11.11 | 1.11.11 |
| ☕Maven | org.ops4j.pax.logging:pax-logging-log4j2 | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.0.12 | 2.0.12 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15…
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-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.logging.log4j:log4j-core to 2.16.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-7rjr-3q55-vv33 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-7rjr-3q55-vv33 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-7rjr-3q55-vv33. 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-7rjr-3q55-vv33 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-7rjr-3q55-vv33 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.