CVE-2025-46392 Overview
CVE-2025-46392 is an Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability affecting Apache Commons Configuration 1.x. The vulnerability exists due to multiple issues that allow excessive resource consumption when loading untrusted configurations or when attackers can control usage patterns. This can lead to denial of service conditions through resource exhaustion attacks.
The Apache Commons Configuration team has explicitly stated they do not intend to fix these issues in the 1.x branch. While Apache Commons Configuration 1.x remains safe for scenarios involving only trusted configurations, organizations processing untrusted input are strongly encouraged to migrate to the 2.x version line.
Critical Impact
Attackers can cause denial of service through excessive resource consumption when untrusted configurations are loaded, potentially exhausting server memory or CPU resources.
Affected Products
- Apache Commons Configuration 1.x (all versions)
- Applications using apache:commons_configuration 1.x with untrusted input
- Java applications loading external configuration files via Commons Configuration 1.x
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-09 - CVE-2025-46392 published to NVD
- 2025-07-16 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46392
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability falls under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption), which occurs when an application does not properly restrict the amount of resources that are allocated based on attacker-controlled input. In the context of Apache Commons Configuration 1.x, the library fails to implement adequate safeguards against resource exhaustion when processing configuration files.
The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network with low complexity, though authentication is required. The primary impact is on availability, with no direct effect on confidentiality or integrity. This makes it particularly concerning for applications that accept configuration input from partially trusted or untrusted sources.
Related vulnerabilities CVE-2024-29131 and CVE-2024-29133 have been documented in the Apache Commons Configuration ecosystem, suggesting a pattern of resource handling issues in the 1.x codebase.
Root Cause
The root cause stems from insufficient resource constraints when parsing and loading configuration data in Apache Commons Configuration 1.x. The library lacks proper limits on resource allocation during configuration processing, allowing maliciously crafted configurations to consume excessive memory, CPU cycles, or other system resources.
The Apache Commons team has indicated that architectural limitations in the 1.x branch make addressing these issues impractical, which is why they recommend migration to the 2.x version line that was designed with these concerns in mind.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based, allowing remote exploitation by authenticated attackers who can supply configuration data to vulnerable applications. An attacker would need to:
- Identify an application using Apache Commons Configuration 1.x that processes external configuration input
- Craft a malicious configuration designed to trigger excessive resource consumption
- Submit the crafted configuration to the target application
- The application's resource consumption would spike, potentially causing denial of service
The attack does not require user interaction once the attacker has access to submit configuration data.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46392
Indicators of Compromise
- Sudden spikes in memory consumption by Java applications using Apache Commons Configuration
- Abnormally high CPU utilization during configuration loading operations
- Application hangs or unresponsiveness when processing configuration files
- OutOfMemoryError exceptions in application logs related to configuration parsing
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Java heap usage for applications that load external configuration files
- Implement alerting on configuration parsing operations that exceed expected duration thresholds
- Review application dependencies for commons-configuration version 1.x in Maven/Gradle build files
- Deploy application performance monitoring to detect resource exhaustion patterns
Monitoring Recommendations
- Configure JVM monitoring to alert on excessive garbage collection activity
- Set up resource utilization baselines for configuration-loading operations
- Implement request timeouts for configuration parsing to prevent indefinite resource consumption
- Review and audit all sources of configuration input to identify untrusted data paths
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46392
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all applications using Apache Commons Configuration 1.x
- Assess which applications process untrusted or externally-sourced configuration data
- Prioritize migration to Apache Commons Configuration 2.x for applications handling untrusted input
- Implement input validation and resource limits at the application layer as an interim measure
Patch Information
The Apache Commons team has stated they will not be releasing patches for the 1.x version line. The recommended remediation is to upgrade to Apache Commons Configuration 2.x, which addresses these resource consumption issues.
Note that Apache Commons Configuration 2.x uses a separate Maven groupId (org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2) and Java package namespace, allowing both versions to be loaded side-by-side during a gradual migration. For detailed guidance, refer to the Apache Mailing List Thread.
Workarounds
- Restrict configuration file sources to only trusted origins
- Implement resource limits (memory, CPU, time) around configuration loading operations
- Add input validation to reject configuration files exceeding size or complexity thresholds
- Consider sandboxing configuration parsing in isolated processes with resource constraints
- Audit and remove any code paths that accept configuration input from untrusted users
# Example: Update Maven dependency from 1.x to 2.x
# Replace in pom.xml:
# Old: commons-configuration:commons-configuration:1.x
# New: org.apache.commons:commons-configuration2:2.x
# Verify current dependency version
mvn dependency:tree | grep commons-configuration
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