Apache Derby: LDAP injection vulnerability in authenticatorGHSA-rcjc-c4pj-xxrp
CRITICALGHSA-rcjc-c4pj-xxrp is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) CWE-74 vulnerability in org.apache.derby:derby. A fix is available for org.apache.derby:derby — see the affected versions and patch details below.
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-rcjc-c4pj-xxrp.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby☕org.apache.derby:derby+8 moreReal-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
A cleverly devised username might bypass LDAP authentication checks. In LDAP-authenticated Derby installations, this could let an attacker fill up the disk by creating junk Derby databases. In LDAP-authenticated Derby installations, this could also allow the attacker to execute malware which was visible to and executable by the account which booted the Derby server. In LDAP-protected databases which weren't also protected by SQL GRANT/REVOKE authorization, this vulnerability could also let an attacker view and corrupt sensitive data and run sensitive database functions and procedures.
Mitigation:
Users should upgrade to Java 21 and Derby 10.17.1.0.
Alternatively, users who wish to remain on older Java versions should build their own Derby distribution from one of the release families to which the fix was backported: 10.16, 10.15, and 10.14. Those are the releases which correspond, respectively, with Java LTS versions 17, 11, and 8.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.derby:derby | ≥ 10.1.1.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.derby:derby | ≥ 10.2.1.6 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.derby:derby | ≥ 10.3.1.4 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.derby:derby | ≥ 10.4.1.3 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.derby:derby | ≥ 10.5.1.1 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.derby:derby | ≥ 10.6.1.0 | No fix |
Affected Products
derbyapacheDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.derby:derby, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
A fix is available for GHSA-rcjc-c4pj-xxrp; check the affected-versions list above or the advisory for the patched release of org.apache.derby:derby, then make sure no transitive dependency still pins the vulnerable range.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-rcjc-c4pj-xxrp in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.