Deserializer tampering in Apache Dubbo
Each Apache Dubbo server will set a serialization id to tell the clients which serialization protocol it is working on. But for Dubbo versions before 2.7.8 or 2.6.9, an attacker can choose which serialization id the Provider will use by tampering with the byte preamble flags, aka, not following the server's instruction. This means that if a weak deserializer such as the Kryo and FST are somehow in code scope (e.g. if Kryo is somehow a part of a dependency), a remote unauthenticated attacker can tell the Provider to use the weak deserializer, and then proceed to exploit it.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | com.alibaba:dubbo | >= 2.5.0, < 2.6.9 | 2.6.9 |
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.apache.dubbo:dubbo | >= 2.5.0, < 2.7.8 | 2.7.8 |
References
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-502- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
com.alibaba:dubbo, org.apache.dubbo:dubbo- Disclosed
- 18.03.2022
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 11:21
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-v2rg-8cwr-75g8 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: com.alibaba:dubbo
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 5
- First → latest
- 03.2022 06.2022
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 3
- Medium 2
Disclosures per year
- 2022: 5
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
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Deserializer tampering in Apache Dubbo this entry
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