What is CVE-2020-10721?

CVE-2020-10721 is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin (maven), affecting versions >= 4.0.0-M1, <= 4.4.2. No fixed version is listed yet. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.

How severe is CVE-2020-10721?

CVE-2020-10721 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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.

Which versions of io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin are affected by CVE-2020-10721?

io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin (maven) versions >= 4.0.0-M1, <= 4.4.2 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-10721?

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-10721 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.

Is CVE-2020-10721 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-10721 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2020-10721 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.

CVE-2020-10721 in io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-10721?

CVE-2020-10721 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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.

Q: Which versions of io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin are affected by CVE-2020-10721?

io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin (maven) versions >= 4.0.0-M1, <= 4.4.2 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-10721?

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-10721 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.

Q: Is CVE-2020-10721 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-10721 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2020-10721 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2020-10721?

No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Avoid deserializing data from untrusted sources. If deserialization is required, use a format that does not support code execution and validate the input strictly.

Summary

fabric8-maven-plugin: insecure way to construct Yaml Object leading to remote code execution

A flaw was found in the fabric8-maven-plugin 4.0.0 and later. When using a wildfly-swarm or thorntail custom configuration, a malicious YAML configuration file on the local machine executing the maven plug-in could allow for deserialization of untrusted data resulting in arbitrary code execution. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

The fabric8-maven-plugin has been superseded by the Eclipse project JKube and the recommendation is migrating users of the fabric8-maven-plugin to Eclipse Jkube >= 1.0.0

Impact

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-2020-10721 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (High). The vector is requires local access, 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. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.

Affected versions

io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin (>= 4.0.0-M1, <= 4.4.2)

Security releases

Not available

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 environment New to Kodem? Get a demo →

Remediation advice

No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-10721 yet.

In the interim: Avoid deserializing data from untrusted sources. If deserialization is required, use a format that does not support code execution and validate the input strictly.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-10721? CVE-2020-10721 is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin (maven), affecting versions >= 4.0.0-M1, <= 4.4.2. No fixed version is listed yet. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
How severe is CVE-2020-10721? CVE-2020-10721 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (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.
Which versions of io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin are affected by CVE-2020-10721? io.fabric8:fabric8-maven-plugin (maven) versions >= 4.0.0-M1, <= 4.4.2 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-10721? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2020-10721 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
Is CVE-2020-10721 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-10721 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-2020-10721 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-2020-10721? No fixed version is listed yet. In the interim: Avoid deserializing data from untrusted sources. If deserialization is required, use a format that does not support code execution and validate the input strictly.