Summary
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption in Jackson-databind
In FasterXML jackson-databind 2.4.0-rc1 until 2.12.7.1 and in 2.13.x before 2.13.4.2 resource exhaustion can occur because of a lack of a check in primitive value deserializers to avoid deep wrapper array nesting, when the UNWRAP_SINGLE_VALUE_ARRAYS feature is enabled. This was patched in 2.12.7.1, 2.13.4.2, and 2.14.0.
Commits that introduced vulnerable code are
https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/d499f2e7bbc5ebd63af11e1f5cf1989fa323aa45, https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/0e37a39502439ecbaa1a5b5188387c01bf7f7fa1, and https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/7ba9ac5b87a9d6ac0d2815158ecbeb315ad4dcdc.
Fix commits are https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/cd090979b7ea78c75e4de8a4aed04f7e9fa8deea and https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/commit/d78d00ee7b5245b93103fef3187f70543d67ca33.
The 2.13.4.1 release does fix this issue, however it also references a non-existent jackson-bom which causes build failures for gradle users. See https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind/issues/3627#issuecomment-1277957548 for details. This is fixed in 2.13.4.2 which is listed in the advisory metadata so that users are not subjected to unnecessary build failures
Impact
Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service. Typical impact: denial of service.
CVE-2022-42003 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 (2.12.7.1, 2.13.4.2); 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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com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind to 2.12.7.1 or later; com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind to 2.13.4.2 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2022-42003? CVE-2022-42003 is a high-severity uncontrolled resource consumption vulnerability in com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind (maven), affecting versions >= 2.4.0-rc1, < 2.12.7.1. It is fixed in 2.12.7.1, 2.13.4.2. Crafted input forces the application to consume excessive CPU, memory, or other resources, degrading or denying service.
- How severe is CVE-2022-42003? CVE-2022-42003 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 com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind are affected by CVE-2022-42003? com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databind (maven) versions >= 2.4.0-rc1, < 2.12.7.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2022-42003? Yes. CVE-2022-42003 is fixed in 2.12.7.1, 2.13.4.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2022-42003 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2022-42003 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-2022-42003 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-2022-42003?
- Upgrade
com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databindto 2.12.7.1 or later - Upgrade
com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-databindto 2.13.4.2 or later
- Upgrade