Summary
Improper Removal of Sensitive Information Before Storage or Transfer in Apache Jackrabbit Oak
The optional initial password change and password expiration features present in Apache Jackrabbit Oak 1.2.0 to 1.22.0 are prone to a sensitive information disclosure vulnerability. The code mandates the changed password to be passed as an additional attribute to the credentials object but does not remove it upon processing during the first phase of the authentication. In combination with additional, independent authentication mechanisms, this may lead to the new password being disclosed.
Impact
CVE-2020-1940 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 (1.24.0, 1.10.8); 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.
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org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-core to 1.24.0 or later; org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-core to 1.10.8 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-1940? CVE-2020-1940 is a high-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-core (maven), affecting versions >= 1.12.0, <= 1.22.0. It is fixed in 1.24.0, 1.10.8.
- How severe is CVE-2020-1940? CVE-2020-1940 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.
- Which versions of org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-core are affected by CVE-2020-1940? org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-core (maven) versions >= 1.12.0, <= 1.22.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-1940? Yes. CVE-2020-1940 is fixed in 1.24.0, 1.10.8. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-1940 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-1940 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-2020-1940 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-2020-1940?
- Upgrade
org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-coreto 1.24.0 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.jackrabbit:oak-coreto 1.10.8 or later
- Upgrade