GHSA-px7w-c9gw-7gj3
CRITICALApache James server: Privilege escalation via JMX pre-authentication deserialization
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.james:james-server☕org.apache.james:james-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
Apache James prior to version 3.7.5 and 3.8.0 exposes a JMX endpoint on localhost subject to pre-authentication deserialisation of untrusted data. Given a deserialisation gadjet, this could be leveraged as part of an exploit chain that could result in privilege escalation. Note that by default JMX endpoint is only bound locally.
We recommend users to: - Upgrade to a non-vulnerable Apache James version
- Run Apache James isolated from other processes (docker - dedicated virtual machine) - If possible turn off JMX
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.james:james-server | all versions | 3.7.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.james:james-server | ≥ 3.8.0&&< 3.8.1 | 3.8.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.james:james-server. 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.james:james-server to 3.7.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-px7w-c9gw-7gj3 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-px7w-c9gw-7gj3 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-px7w-c9gw-7gj3. 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-px7w-c9gw-7gj3 in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-px7w-c9gw-7gj3 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.