CVE-2019-16943

jackson-databind polymorphic typing issue

A Polymorphic Typing issue was discovered in FasterXML jackson-databind 2.0.0 prior to 2.9.10.1, 2.8.11.5, and 2.6.7.3. When Default Typing is enabled (either globally or for a specific property) for an externally exposed JSON endpoint and the service has the p6spy (3.8.6) jar in the classpath, and an attacker can find an RMI service endpoint to access, it is possible to make the service execute a malicious payload. This issue exists because of com.p6spy.engine.spy.P6DataSource mishandling.

Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution or logic abuse.

CVE-2019-16943 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 (2.9.10.1, 2.8.11.5, 2.6.7.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2019-16943? CVE-2019-16943 is a critical-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind (maven), affecting versions >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.10.1. It is fixed in 2.9.10.1, 2.8.11.5, 2.6.7.3. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
2. How severe is CVE-2019-16943? CVE-2019-16943 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.
3. Which versions of com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind are affected by CVE-2019-16943? com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind (maven) versions >= 2.9.0, < 2.9.10.1 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2019-16943? Yes. CVE-2019-16943 is fixed in 2.9.10.1, 2.8.11.5, 2.6.7.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2019-16943 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2019-16943 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-2019-16943 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-2019-16943?
   • Upgrade com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind to 2.9.10.1 or later
   • Upgrade com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind to 2.8.11.5 or later
   • Upgrade com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind to 2.6.7.3 or later

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