Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability in Apache Commons Configuration 1.x.
There are a number of issues in Apache Commons Configuration 1.x that allow excessive resource consumption when loading untrusted configurations or using unexpected usage patterns. The Apache Commons Configuration team does not intend to fix these issues in 1.x. Apache Commons Configuration 1.x is still safe to use in scenarios where you only load trusted configurations.
Users that load untrusted configurations or give attackers control over usage patterns are recommended to upgrade to the 2.x version line, which fixes these issues. Apache Commons Configuration 2.x is not a drop-in replacement, but as it uses a separate Maven groupId and Java package namespace they can be loaded side-by-side, making it possible to do a gradual migration.
The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.
| Name | Vendor | Start Version | End Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commons_configuration | Apache | 1.0 (including) | 2.0 (excluding) |
| Commons-configuration | Ubuntu | focal | * |
| Commons-configuration | Ubuntu | oracular | * |
Mitigation of resource exhaustion attacks requires that the target system either:
The first of these solutions is an issue in itself though, since it may allow attackers to prevent the use of the system by a particular valid user. If the attacker impersonates the valid user, they may be able to prevent the user from accessing the server in question.
The second solution is simply difficult to effectively institute – and even when properly done, it does not provide a full solution. It simply makes the attack require more resources on the part of the attacker.