CVE-2020-11980
In Karaf, JMX authentication takes place using JAAS and authorization takes place using ACL files. By default, only an "admin" can…
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- apache
Description
In Karaf, JMX authentication takes place using JAAS and authorization takes place using ACL files. By default, only an "admin" can actually invoke on an MBean. However there is a vulnerability there for someone who is not an admin, but has a "viewer" role. In the 'etc/jmx.acl.cfg', such as role can call get*. It's possible to authenticate as a viewer role + invokes on the MLet getMBeansFromURL method, which goes off to a remote server to fetch the desired MBean, which is then registered in Karaf. At this point the attack fails as "viewer" doesn't have the permission to invoke on the MBean. Still, it could act as a SSRF style attack and also it essentially allows a "viewer" role to pollute the MBean registry, which is a kind of privilege escalation. The vulnerability is low as it's possible to add a ACL to limit access. Users should update to Apache Karaf 4.2.9 or newer.
Timeline
ID reserved
By apache
- 52 days later
· 52 days later
Published
- 4 years later
· 4 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium6.3 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 1.9% · top 20% of all CVEs (7 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 6.3.
Weakness
- JMX MBean arbitrary creation
- CWE-918 (opens in a new tab)All about CWE-918 and its CVEs
Affected products
Apache Karaf
- affected Apache Karaf up to 4.2.8
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.apache.karaf.management:org.apache.karaf.management.serverGHSA-9jg9-6wm2-x7p5 (opens in a new tab)
References (1)
- http://karaf.apache.org/security/cve-2020-11980.txt (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-9jg9-6wm2-x7p5 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2020-11980)Record last updated .