Summary
Reading specially crafted serializable objects from an untrusted source may cause an infinite loop and denial of service
Any program on the JVM may read serialized objects via java.io.ObjectInputStream.readObject(). Reading serialized objects from an untrusted source is inherently unsafe (this affects any program running on any version of the JVM) and is a prerequisite for this vulnerability.
Clojure classes that represent infinite seqs (Cycle, infinite Repeat, and Iterate) do not define hashCode() and use the parent ASeq.hashCode(), which walks the seq to compute the hash, yielding an infinite loop. Classes like java.util.HashMap call hashCode() on keys during deserialization of a serialized map.
The exploit requires:
- Crafting a serialized HashMap object with an infinite seq object as a key.
- Sending that to a program that reads serialized objects via ObjectInputStream.readObject().
This will cause the program to enter an infinite loop on the reading thread and thus a denial of service (DoS).
The affected Clojure classes (Cycle, Repeat, Iterate) exist in Clojure 1.7.0-1.11.1, 1.12.0-alpha1-1.12.0-alpha8.
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-2024-22871 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 (1.11.2, 1.12.0-alpha9); 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.clojure:clojure to 1.11.2 or later; org.clojure:clojure to 1.12.0-alpha9 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-22871? CVE-2024-22871 is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in org.clojure:clojure (maven), affecting versions >= 1.7.0, < 1.11.2. It is fixed in 1.11.2, 1.12.0-alpha9. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
- How severe is CVE-2024-22871? CVE-2024-22871 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.clojure:clojure are affected by CVE-2024-22871? org.clojure:clojure (maven) versions >= 1.7.0, < 1.11.2 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-22871? Yes. CVE-2024-22871 is fixed in 1.11.2, 1.12.0-alpha9. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-22871 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-22871 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-2024-22871 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-2024-22871?
- Upgrade
org.clojure:clojureto 1.11.2 or later - Upgrade
org.clojure:clojureto 1.12.0-alpha9 or later
- Upgrade