Summary
Apache ShardingSphere-Agent Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Apache ShardingSphere-Agent, which allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by constructing a special YAML configuration file.
The attacker needs to have permission to modify the ShardingSphere Agent YAML configuration file on the target machine, and the target machine can access the URL with the arbitrary code JAR.
An attacker can use SnakeYAML to deserialize java.net.URLClassLoader and make it load a JAR from a specified URL, and then deserialize javax.script.ScriptEngineManager to load code using that ClassLoader. When the ShardingSphere JVM process starts and uses the ShardingSphere-Agent, the arbitrary code specified by the attacker will be executed during the deserialization of the YAML configuration file by the Agent.
This issue affects ShardingSphere-Agent: through 5.3.2. This vulnerability is fixed in Apache ShardingSphere 5.4.0.
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-2023-28754 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, 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. A fixed version is available (5.4.0); 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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-28754? CVE-2023-28754 is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in org.apache.shardingsphere:shardingsphere (maven), affecting versions <= 5.3.2. It is fixed in 5.4.0. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
- How severe is CVE-2023-28754? CVE-2023-28754 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (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 org.apache.shardingsphere:shardingsphere are affected by CVE-2023-28754? org.apache.shardingsphere:shardingsphere (maven) versions <= 5.3.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-28754? Yes. CVE-2023-28754 is fixed in 5.4.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-28754 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-28754 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-2023-28754 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-2023-28754? Upgrade
org.apache.shardingsphere:shardingsphereto 5.4.0 or later.