CVE-2024-29133: Apache Commons Configuration Overflow Flaw

CVE-2024-29133 Overview

CVE-2024-29133 is an Out-of-bounds Write vulnerability affecting Apache Commons Configuration, a widely-used Java library that provides a generic configuration interface enabling applications to read configuration data from various sources. This vulnerability allows an attacker with low privileges to potentially corrupt memory or overwrite data outside the intended buffer boundaries through network-based attacks.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this out-of-bounds write vulnerability could allow attackers to compromise data integrity and confidentiality in applications using vulnerable versions of Apache Commons Configuration.

Affected Products

• Apache Commons Configuration versions 2.0 to 2.10.0
• Fedora 39 (bundled Apache Commons Configuration packages)
• Fedora 40 (bundled Apache Commons Configuration packages)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-03-21 - CVE-2024-29133 published to NVD
• 2025-05-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-29133

Vulnerability Analysis

This out-of-bounds write vulnerability (CWE-787) exists in Apache Commons Configuration versions from 2.0 before 2.10.1. Out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities occur when a program writes data past the end or before the beginning of the intended buffer, which can result in corruption of data, crashes, or code execution.

The vulnerability can be exploited over the network by an authenticated attacker with low privilege requirements. While no user interaction is required for exploitation, the impact is constrained to partial confidentiality and integrity compromises without availability impact. The attack complexity is considered low, making this a readily exploitable issue in affected environments.

Applications that use Apache Commons Configuration for parsing or handling configuration data from untrusted sources are at particular risk. The library is commonly used in enterprise Java applications for configuration management, making the potential attack surface significant.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-29133 lies in improper bounds checking within Apache Commons Configuration's data handling routines. When processing certain configuration data, the library fails to properly validate array or buffer boundaries, allowing write operations to occur outside the allocated memory space. This type of flaw typically stems from inadequate input validation or incorrect length calculations when handling variable-length data structures.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by attackers with low privileges. An attacker could craft malicious configuration data or input that, when processed by a vulnerable Apache Commons Configuration library, triggers the out-of-bounds write condition. This could be achieved through:

• Submitting specially crafted configuration files to an application endpoint
• Manipulating configuration data in transit
• Exploiting applications that dynamically load configuration from untrusted sources

The attack requires authenticated access but no user interaction, meaning automated exploitation is possible once an attacker gains initial access to a system using the vulnerable library.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-29133

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected application crashes or memory corruption errors in Java applications using Apache Commons Configuration
• Anomalous configuration parsing behavior or data corruption in configuration-dependent systems
• Log entries indicating buffer overflows or memory access violations in Java applications

Detection Strategies

• Audit application dependencies using software composition analysis (SCA) tools to identify vulnerable Apache Commons Configuration versions
• Monitor application logs for unusual exceptions or errors related to configuration parsing operations
• Implement runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions to detect memory corruption attempts
• Review build manifests and dependency trees for commons-configuration2 library versions between 2.0 and 2.10.0

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for configuration parsing operations in applications using Apache Commons Configuration
• Configure application performance monitoring (APM) tools to alert on unexpected memory utilization patterns
• Monitor network traffic for anomalous configuration data submissions to affected application endpoints
• Implement file integrity monitoring for configuration files consumed by affected applications

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-29133

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Commons Configuration to version 2.10.1 or later immediately
• Audit all applications in your environment that use Apache Commons Configuration as a dependency
• Review and restrict access to configuration endpoints and configuration file upload functionality
• Implement input validation for any configuration data processed from external sources

Patch Information

Apache has released version 2.10.1 of Apache Commons Configuration which addresses this vulnerability. Users are strongly recommended to upgrade to this version or later. The fix is available through standard Maven Central repositories.

For Maven projects, update the dependency to:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
    <artifactId>commons-configuration2</artifactId>
    <version>2.10.1</version>
</dependency>

For Gradle projects, update to:

implementation 'org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2:2.10.1'

Additional information is available in the Apache Mailing List Discussion.

Fedora users should update their systems using standard package management tools. Fedora package announcements with updated versions are available for Fedora 39 and Fedora 40.

Workarounds

• Restrict network access to applications using vulnerable Apache Commons Configuration versions until patching is complete
• Implement strict input validation and sanitization for all configuration data sources
• Consider using a web application firewall (WAF) to filter potentially malicious configuration payloads
• Isolate affected applications in segmented network zones to limit potential blast radius

# Verify your Apache Commons Configuration version in Maven projects
mvn dependency:tree | grep commons-configuration

# For Gradle projects
gradle dependencies | grep commons-configuration

# Update Fedora systems with affected packages
sudo dnf update commons-configuration