CVE-2015-0226

Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm in Apache WSS4J

Apache WSS4J before 1.6.17 and 2.0.x before 2.0.2 improperly leaks information about decryption failures when decrypting an encrypted key or message data, which makes it easier for remote attackers to recover the plaintext form of a symmetric key via a series of crafted messages. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2011-2487.

The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES. Typical impact: compromised confidentiality or integrity of protected data.

CVE-2015-0226 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.6.17, 2.0.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2015-0226? CVE-2015-0226 is a high-severity use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm vulnerability in org.apache.ws.security:wss4j (maven), affecting versions < 1.6.17. It is fixed in 1.6.17, 2.0.2. The application uses a cryptographic algorithm known to have weaknesses, such as MD5, SHA-1, or DES.
2. How severe is CVE-2015-0226? CVE-2015-0226 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-0226?
   • org.apache.ws.security:wss4j (maven) (versions < 1.6.17)
   • org.apache.wss4j:wss4j-ws-security-dom (maven) (versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.0.2)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2015-0226? Yes. CVE-2015-0226 is fixed in 1.6.17, 2.0.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2015-0226 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2015-0226 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2015-0226 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2015-0226?
   • Upgrade org.apache.ws.security:wss4j to 1.6.17 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.wss4j:wss4j-ws-security-dom to 2.0.2 or later

Other vulnerabilities in org.apache.ws.security:wss4j