CVE-2025-53192: Apache Commons OGNL RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-53192 Overview

CVE-2025-53192 is an Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters vulnerability in Apache Commons OGNL (Object-Graph Navigation Language). This vulnerability affects all versions of Apache Commons OGNL and is classified as UNSUPPORTED WHEN ASSIGNED, meaning the affected software has been retired and no official patches will be released.

When using the Ognl.getValue() API, the OGNL engine parses and evaluates the provided expression with powerful capabilities, including the ability to access and invoke arbitrary methods. Although OgnlRuntime attempts to restrict certain dangerous classes and methods (such as java.lang.Runtime) through a blocklist, these restrictions are not comprehensive. Attackers may be able to bypass the blocklist restrictions by leveraging class objects that are not covered and potentially achieve arbitrary code execution.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code by bypassing blocklist restrictions in Apache Commons OGNL. Since the project is retired with no planned fixes, organizations must migrate to alternative solutions or implement strict access controls.

Affected Products

• Apache Commons OGNL (all versions)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-08-18 - CVE-2025-53192 published to NVD
• 2025-11-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-53192

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in Apache Commons OGNL's expression evaluation mechanism. OGNL is a powerful expression language for getting and setting properties of Java objects. The Ognl.getValue() method processes user-supplied expressions and evaluates them within the context of the running application. While the library implements blocklist-based protections through OgnlRuntime to prevent access to dangerous classes like java.lang.Runtime, the blocklist approach is inherently incomplete.

The fundamental issue is that blocklist-based security is a losing battle against attackers who can discover alternative code paths to achieve the same malicious objectives. The OGNL expression language provides extensive access to Java's reflection capabilities, allowing attackers to invoke methods, instantiate objects, and traverse object graphs in ways that may not have been anticipated by the blocklist designers.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the reliance on a blocklist-based security model within OgnlRuntime to restrict access to dangerous classes and methods. This approach fails because:

1. The blocklist cannot anticipate all possible dangerous classes and methods in the Java ecosystem
2. Attackers can chain together multiple benign operations to achieve malicious outcomes
3. Third-party libraries on the classpath may expose additional attack surfaces not covered by the blocklist
4. Java's extensive reflection capabilities provide multiple paths to achieve code execution

The CWE-146 classification (Improper Neutralization of Expression/Command Delimiters) accurately describes how the vulnerability allows malicious expressions to be interpreted as commands rather than data.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious OGNL expressions that bypass the blocklist restrictions implemented in OgnlRuntime. When these expressions are processed by the Ognl.getValue() method, they can leverage class objects not covered by the blocklist to invoke dangerous methods or instantiate malicious objects.

The exploitation typically involves identifying classes present on the application's classpath that provide indirect access to system resources, reflection utilities, or scripting engines. By chaining method calls through these classes, attackers can bypass direct restrictions on classes like java.lang.Runtime while still achieving arbitrary code execution.

Since this vulnerability exists within a retired library component, the attack surface includes any application still using Apache Commons OGNL for expression evaluation, particularly those that process untrusted user input.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53192

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual OGNL expression patterns in application logs, particularly those referencing reflection APIs, ClassLoader, or scripting engines
• Unexpected process spawning or outbound network connections from Java applications using OGNL
• Error messages indicating failed attempts to access restricted classes or methods through OGNL evaluation
• Evidence of class loading or instantiation of uncommon utility classes through expression evaluation

Detection Strategies

• Monitor application logs for suspicious OGNL expression evaluation attempts containing reflection-related classes
• Implement runtime application self-protection (RASP) to detect and block malicious expression injection attempts
• Use static application security testing (SAST) tools to identify usage of Ognl.getValue() with untrusted input
• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) configured to detect OGNL injection patterns in request parameters

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for OGNL expression evaluation in development and staging environments
• Set up alerts for any OGNL-related exceptions or errors in production logs
• Conduct regular dependency audits to identify applications still using Apache Commons OGNL
• Implement network monitoring to detect anomalous behavior from Java applications processing user expressions

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53192

Immediate Actions Required

• Inventory all applications using Apache Commons OGNL and assess their exposure to untrusted input
• Restrict access to applications using OGNL expression evaluation to trusted users only
• Evaluate and migrate to alternative expression languages with better security models
• Implement strict input validation on any data that may be processed as OGNL expressions

Patch Information

No official patch will be released. Apache has retired the Commons OGNL project, and no fixed version is planned. According to the Apache Security Mailing List Thread, users are recommended to find an alternative expression language or restrict access to OGNL functionality to trusted users only.

The Openwall OSS-Security Discussion provides additional context on the vulnerability disclosure.

Workarounds

• Migrate away from Apache Commons OGNL to actively maintained expression language libraries with robust security controls
• Implement allowlist-based validation for any expressions that must be evaluated, permitting only known-safe patterns
• Deploy applications using OGNL behind authentication and authorization controls to limit exposure to trusted users
• Consider sandboxing or containerization to limit the impact of potential exploitation
• Remove OGNL dependencies entirely from applications that do not require expression evaluation functionality

# Configuration example: Check for OGNL dependency in Maven projects
mvn dependency:tree | grep -i ognl

# Remove unused OGNL dependency from pom.xml
# Or add exclusion to parent dependencies that transitively include OGNL