Summary
Unrestricted upload of file with dangerous type in Apache Solr
The 8.1.1 and 8.2.0 releases of Apache Solr contain an insecure setting for the ENABLE_REMOTE_JMX_OPTS configuration option in the default solr.in.sh configuration file shipping with Solr. If you use the default solr.in.sh file from the affected releases, then JMX monitoring will be enabled and exposed on RMI_PORT (default=18983), without any authentication. If this port is opened for inbound traffic in your firewall, then anyone with network access to your Solr nodes will be able to access JMX, which may in turn allow them to upload malicious code for execution on the Solr server.
Impact
The application accepts file uploads without adequately restricting the file type or content. Typical impact: remote code execution if the uploaded file can be served and executed on the server.
CVE-2019-12409 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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 (8.3.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
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.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2019-12409? CVE-2019-12409 is a critical-severity unrestricted upload of dangerous file types vulnerability in org.apache.solr:solr-core (maven), affecting versions >= 8.1.1, <= 8.2.0. It is fixed in 8.3.0. The application accepts file uploads without adequately restricting the file type or content.
- How severe is CVE-2019-12409? CVE-2019-12409 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (Critical). 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.
- Which versions of org.apache.solr:solr-core are affected by CVE-2019-12409? org.apache.solr:solr-core (maven) versions >= 8.1.1, <= 8.2.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2019-12409? Yes. CVE-2019-12409 is fixed in 8.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2019-12409 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2019-12409 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-2019-12409 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-2019-12409? Upgrade
org.apache.solr:solr-coreto 8.3.0 or later.