CVE-2019-14900

A flaw was found in Hibernate ORM in versions before 5.3.18, 5.4.18 and 5.5.0.Beta1. A SQL injection in the implementation of the JPA Criteria API can permit unsanitized literals when a literal is used in the SELECT or GROUP BY parts of the query. This flaw could allow an attacker to access unauthorized information or possibly conduct further attacks.

Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access. Typical impact: data disclosure or modification.

CVE-2019-14900 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (5.3.18, 5.4.18, 5.5.0.Beta1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2019-14900? CVE-2019-14900 is a medium-severity SQL injection vulnerability in org.hibernate:hibernate-core (maven), affecting versions < 5.3.18. It is fixed in 5.3.18, 5.4.18, 5.5.0.Beta1. Untrusted input alters a database query, allowing the attacker to read or modify data the query was not intended to access.
2. How severe is CVE-2019-14900? CVE-2019-14900 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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.hibernate:hibernate-core are affected by CVE-2019-14900? org.hibernate:hibernate-core (maven) versions < 5.3.18 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2019-14900? Yes. CVE-2019-14900 is fixed in 5.3.18, 5.4.18, 5.5.0.Beta1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2019-14900 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2019-14900 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-2019-14900 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-2019-14900?
   • Upgrade org.hibernate:hibernate-core to 5.3.18 or later
   • Upgrade org.hibernate:hibernate-core to 5.4.18 or later
   • Upgrade org.hibernate:hibernate-core to 5.5.0.Beta1 or later