Private key leak in Apache CXF
Apache CXF ships with a OpenId Connect JWK Keys service, which allows a client to obtain the public keys in JWK format, which can then be used to verify the signature of tokens issued by the service. Typically, the service obtains the public key from a local keystore (JKS/PKCS12) by specifing the path of the keystore and the alias of the keystore entry. This case is not vulnerable. However it is also possible to obtain the keys from a JWK keystore file, by setting the configuration parameter rs.security.keystore.type to jwk. For this case all keys are returned in this file "as is", including all private key and secret key credentials. This is an obvious security risk if the user has configured the signature keystore file with private or secret key credentials. From CXF 3.3.5 and 3.2.12, it is mandatory to specify an alias corresponding to the id of the key in the JWK file, and only this key is returned. In addition, any private key information is omitted by default. oct keys, which contain secret keys, are not returned at all.
Affected software
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| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf | < 3.2.12, >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.5 | 3.2.12, 3.3.5 |
| Java / Kotlin (Maven) | org.apache.cxf:cxf | < 3.2.12, >= 3.3.0, < 3.3.5 | 3.2.12, 3.3.5 |
References
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12423
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r36e44ffc1a9b365327df62cdfaabe85b9a5637de102cea07d79b2dbf@%3Ccommits.cxf.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd49aabd984ed540c8ff7916d4d79405f3fa311d2fdbcf9ed307839a6@%3Ccommits.cxf.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rd588ff96f18563aeb5f87ac8c6bce7aae86cb1a4d4be483f96e7208c@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rec7160382badd3ef4ad017a22f64a266c7188b9ba71394f0d321e2d4@%3Ccommits.cxf.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rfb87e0bf3995e7d560afeed750fac9329ff5f1ad49da365129b7f89e@%3Ccommits.cxf.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rff42cfa5e7d75b7c1af0e37589140a8f1999e578a75738740b244bd4@%3Ccommits.cxf.apache.org%3E
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuApr2021.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2020.html
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html
- http://cxf.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2019-12423.txt.asc?version=1&modificationDate=1579178393000&api=v2
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-522- Platform
- Java / Kotlin (Maven)
- Package
org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf, org.apache.cxf:cxf- Disclosed
- 22.05.2020
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 11:21
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-42f2-f9vc-6365 - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf
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 01.2022
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 4
- Medium 3
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 1
- 2019: 1
- 2020: 2
- 2021: 2
- 2022: 1
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
-
Private key leak in Apache CXF this entry
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