What is CVE-2023-28462?

CVE-2023-28462 is a critical-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator (maven), affecting versions >= 5.2020.1, < 6.2022.1.Alpha3. It is fixed in 6.2022.1.Alpha3. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.

How severe is CVE-2023-28462?

CVE-2023-28462 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 fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator are affected by CVE-2023-28462?

fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator (maven) versions >= 5.2020.1, < 6.2022.1.Alpha3 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2023-28462?

Yes. CVE-2023-28462 is fixed in 6.2022.1.Alpha3. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2023-28462 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2023-28462 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-2023-28462 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-2023-28462

Q: How severe is CVE-2023-28462?

CVE-2023-28462 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 fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator are affected by CVE-2023-28462?

fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator (maven) versions >= 5.2020.1, < 6.2022.1.Alpha3 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2023-28462?

Yes. CVE-2023-28462 is fixed in 6.2022.1.Alpha3. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2023-28462 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2023-28462 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-2023-28462 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-2023-28462?

Upgrade fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator to 6.2022.1.Alpha3 or later.

Summary

Payara Server allows remote attackers to load malicious code on the server once a JNDI directory scan is performed

A JNDI rebind operation in the default ORB listener in Payara Server 4.1.2.191 (Enterprise), 5.20.0 and newer (Enterprise), and 5.2020.1 and newer (Community), when Java 1.8u181 and earlier is used, allows remote attackers to load malicious code on the server once a JNDI directory scan is performed.

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-2023-28462 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 (6.2022.1.Alpha3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator (>= 5.2020.1, < 6.2022.1.Alpha3)

Security releases

fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator → 6.2022.1.Alpha3 (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 fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator to 6.2022.1.Alpha3 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-2023-28462? CVE-2023-28462 is a critical-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator (maven), affecting versions >= 5.2020.1, < 6.2022.1.Alpha3. It is fixed in 6.2022.1.Alpha3. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
How severe is CVE-2023-28462? CVE-2023-28462 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 fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator are affected by CVE-2023-28462? fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator (maven) versions >= 5.2020.1, < 6.2022.1.Alpha3 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2023-28462? Yes. CVE-2023-28462 is fixed in 6.2022.1.Alpha3. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2023-28462 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-28462 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-2023-28462 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-2023-28462? Upgrade fish.payara.server:payara-aggregator to 6.2022.1.Alpha3 or later.