CVE-2018-12545

Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server

In Eclipse Jetty version 9.3.x and 9.4.x, the server is vulnerable to Denial of Service conditions if a remote client sends either large SETTINGs frames container containing many settings, or many small SETTINGs frames. The vulnerability is due to the additional CPU and memory allocations required to handle changed settings.

Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.

CVE-2018-12545 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 (9.4.12.v20180830, 9.3.25.v20180904); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2018-12545? CVE-2018-12545 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server (maven), affecting versions >= 9.4.0, <= 9.4.12.RC2. It is fixed in 9.4.12.v20180830, 9.3.25.v20180904. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
2. How severe is CVE-2018-12545? CVE-2018-12545 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 versions of org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server are affected by CVE-2018-12545? org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server (maven) versions >= 9.4.0, <= 9.4.12.RC2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2018-12545? Yes. CVE-2018-12545 is fixed in 9.4.12.v20180830, 9.3.25.v20180904. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2018-12545 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-12545 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-2018-12545 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-2018-12545?
   • Upgrade org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server to 9.4.12.v20180830 or later
   • Upgrade org.eclipse.jetty:jetty-server to 9.3.25.v20180904 or later

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