Summary
Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature in org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient
org.apache.http.conn.ssl.AbstractVerifier in Apache HttpComponents HttpClient before 4.3.5 and HttpAsyncClient before 4.0.2 does not properly verify that the server hostname matches a domain name in the subject's Common Name (CN) or subjectAltName field of the X.509 certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof SSL servers via a "CN=" string in a field in the distinguished name (DN) of a certificate, as demonstrated by the "foo,CN=www.apache.org" string in the O field.
Impact
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2014-3577? CVE-2014-3577 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient (maven), affecting versions < 4.3.5. It is fixed in 4.3.5.
- Which versions of org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient are affected by CVE-2014-3577? org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient (maven) versions < 4.3.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2014-3577? Yes. CVE-2014-3577 is fixed in 4.3.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2014-3577 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2014-3577 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2014-3577 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2014-3577? Upgrade
org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclientto 4.3.5 or later.