GHSA-fjq5-5j5f-mvxh
CRITICALDeserialization of Untrusted Data in Apache commons collections
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
commons-collections:commons-collections☕org.apache.commons:commons-collections4☕org.apache.servicemix.bundles:org.apache.servicemix.bundles.commons-collections☕net.sourceforge.collections:collections-generic☕org.apache.servicemix.bundles:org.apache.servicemix.bundles.collections-genericReal-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
It was found that the Apache commons-collections library permitted code execution when deserializing objects involving a specially constructed chain of classes. A remote attacker could use this flaw to execute arbitrary code with the permissions of the application using the commons-collections library.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | commons-collections:commons-collections | all versions | 3.2.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.commons:commons-collections4 | all versions | 4.1 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.servicemix.bundles:org.apache.servicemix.bundles.commons-collections | ≥ 3.2.1 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | net.sourceforge.collections:collections-generic | all versions | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.servicemix.bundles:org.apache.servicemix.bundles.collections-generic | ≥ 4.01 | No fix |
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 commons-collections:commons-collections. 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 commons-collections:commons-collections to 3.2.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-fjq5-5j5f-mvxh 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-fjq5-5j5f-mvxh 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-fjq5-5j5f-mvxh. 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-fjq5-5j5f-mvxh in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-fjq5-5j5f-mvxh across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.