Apache Axis 1.x (EOL) may allow RCE when untrusted input is passed to getService
When integrating Apache Axis 1.x in an application, it may not have been obvious that looking up a service through "ServiceFactory.getService" allows potentially dangerous lookup mechanisms such as LDAP. When passing untrusted input to this API method, this could expose the application to DoS, SSRF and even attacks leading to RCE.
As Axis 1 has been EOL we recommend you migrate to a different SOAP engine, such as Apache Axis 2/Java. As a workaround, you may review your code to verify no untrusted or unsanitized input is passed to "ServiceFactory.getService", or by applying the patch from https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/7e66753427466590d6def0125e448d2791723210 . The Apache Axis project does not expect to create an Axis 1.x release fixing this problem, though contributors that would like to work towards this are welcome.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | axis:axis | <= 1.4 | no fix |
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.apache.axis:axis | <= 1.4 | no fix |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40743
- https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/7e66753427466590d6def0125e448d2791723210
- https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/gs0qgk2mgss7zfhzdd6ftfjvm4kp7v82
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00025.html
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-20, CWE-75- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
axis:axis, org.apache.axis:axis- Disclosed
- 05.09.2023
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 12:21
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-rmqp-9w4c-gc7w - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: org.apache.axis:axis
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
- 7
- First → latest
- 10.2018 01.2024
- Without a fix
- 6
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- Critical 1
- High 2
- Medium 4
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 2
- 2019: 1
- 2020: 1
- 2021: 0
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 1
- 2024: 1
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
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Apache Axis 1.x (EOL) may allow RCE when untrusted input is passed to getService this entry
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