What is CVE-2021-37578?

CVE-2021-37578 is a critical-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in org.apache.juddi:juddi-core (maven), affecting versions < 3.3.10. It is fixed in 3.3.10. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.

How severe is CVE-2021-37578?

CVE-2021-37578 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.juddi:juddi-core are affected by CVE-2021-37578?

org.apache.juddi:juddi-core (maven) versions < 3.3.10 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2021-37578?

Yes. CVE-2021-37578 is fixed in 3.3.10. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2021-37578 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-37578 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-2021-37578 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-2021-37578 in org.apache.juddi:juddi-core

Q: How severe is CVE-2021-37578?

CVE-2021-37578 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.

Q: Which versions of org.apache.juddi:juddi-core are affected by CVE-2021-37578?

org.apache.juddi:juddi-core (maven) versions < 3.3.10 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2021-37578?

Yes. CVE-2021-37578 is fixed in 3.3.10. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2021-37578 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2021-37578 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-2021-37578 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-2021-37578?

Upgrade org.apache.juddi:juddi-core to 3.3.10 or later.

Summary

Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Apache jUDDI

Apache jUDDI uses several classes related to Java's Remote Method Invocation (RMI) which (as an extension to UDDI) provides an alternate transport for accessing UDDI services.

RMI uses the default Java serialization mechanism to pass parameters in RMI invocations. A remote attacker can send a malicious serialized object to the above RMI entries. The objects get deserialized without any check on the incoming data. In the worst case, it may let the attacker run arbitrary code remotely.

For both jUDDI web service applications and jUDDI clients, the usage of RMI is disabled by default. Since this is an optional feature and an extension to the UDDI protocol, the likelihood of impact is low. Starting with 3.3.10, all RMI related code was removed.

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-2021-37578 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 (3.3.10); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.apache.juddi:juddi-core (< 3.3.10)

Security releases

org.apache.juddi:juddi-core → 3.3.10 (maven)

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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Remediation advice

Upgrade org.apache.juddi:juddi-core to 3.3.10 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-37578? CVE-2021-37578 is a critical-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in org.apache.juddi:juddi-core (maven), affecting versions < 3.3.10. It is fixed in 3.3.10. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
How severe is CVE-2021-37578? CVE-2021-37578 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.juddi:juddi-core are affected by CVE-2021-37578? org.apache.juddi:juddi-core (maven) versions < 3.3.10 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2021-37578? Yes. CVE-2021-37578 is fixed in 3.3.10. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2021-37578 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2021-37578 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-2021-37578 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-2021-37578? Upgrade org.apache.juddi:juddi-core to 3.3.10 or later.