`CVE-2017-20189`

9.8 Critical Protected by RASP

Description

In Clojure before 1.9.0, classes can be used to construct a serialized object that executes arbitrary code upon deserialization. This is relevant if a server deserializes untrusted objects.

CWE-502 · Deserialization of untrusted data

Exploitation Status

Proof of concept only

A proof of concept exists, but no reviewed exploit catalogue carries this CVE. Demonstrating a defect and weaponising it are different amounts of work.

CVSS E:P

CISA KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: poc CISA concluded an exploit has been demonstrated, typically from a vendor advisory, which leaves no artifact to index. Automatable: yes, technical impact: total.
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 1.3% chance in 30 days

Waratek Defense Posture

Protected by RASP

A Waratek agent blocks this today.

Applicable rule: Promoted to MITIGATED-BY-RASP (security rule): this CVE's weakness (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) can be mitigated by an ARMR deserialization security rule that blocks this class of attack at the JVM level, without requiring a CVE-specific patch.

Protection full a general security rule for the vulnerability class
Action available security rule
Review automated inferred
Record active

Decided by secure-rule-match : A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

Finding Promoted to MITIGATED-BY-RASP (security rule): this CVE's weakness (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) can be mitigated by an ARMR deserialization security rule that blocks this class of attack at the JVM level, without requiring a CVE-specific patch.

Candidate fix https://github.com/clojure/clojure/commit/271674c9b484d798484d134a5ac40a6df15d3ac3 : a commit: the change itself

Decided by	`secure-rule-match` : A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule
Finding	Promoted to MITIGATED-BY-RASP (security rule): this CVE's weakness (CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data) can be mitigated by an ARMR deserialization security rule that blocks this class of attack at the JVM level, without requiring a CVE-specific patch.
Candidate fix	https://github.com/clojure/clojure/commit/271674c9b484d798484d134a5ac40a6df15d3ac3 : a commit: the change itself

CVSS

9.8 CRITICAL v3.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H 2 metrics

VRT selects the newest version's highest entry and publishes it as cvssScore, newest rather than largest because scores are not comparable across versions, and highest rather than first because the first entry is frequently a CNA placeholder scoring 0.0 over NVD's own analysis.

Version Score Band Vector Assigner Type

CVSS 3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H NVD Primary published

CVSS 3.1 9.8 CRITICAL CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H CISA-ADP Secondary

Version	Score	Band	Vector	Assigner	Type
CVSS 3.1	9.8	CRITICAL	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	NVD	Primary	published
CVSS 3.1	9.8	CRITICAL	`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`	CISA-ADP	Secondary

Affected Software & Releases

☕ Maven Library Packages

Artifact coordinates and fix boundaries from OSV.dev

Package Coordinate Introduced Fixed Last affected

org.clojure:clojure 0 1.9.0 unbounded

Package Coordinate	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.clojure:clojure`	0	`1.9.0`	unbounded

🖥️ Product CPEs & Version Ranges

2 product(s) over 2 version claims (uncapped)

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected Versions
nvd	clojure	clojure	generic	＜ 1.9.0
osv	org.clojure	clojure	generic	＜ 1.9.0

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected Versions

nvd

clojure

generic

＜ 1.9.0

osv

org.clojure

clojure

generic

＜ 1.9.0

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/clojure/clojure/commit/271674c9b484d798484d134a5ac40a6df15d3ac3	commit
https://github.com/frohoff/ysoserial/pull/68/files	WEB
https://clojure.atlassian.net/browse/CLJ-2204	WEB
https://github.com/clojure/clojure	PACKAGE
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/clojure/WaL3hHzsevI/7zHU-L7LBQAJ	WEB
https://hackmd.io/%40fe1w0/HyefvRQKp	WEB
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20241108-0002	WEB
https://security.snyk.io/vuln/SNYK-JAVA-ORGCLOJURE-5740378	WEB
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20241108-0002/

URL

Timeline

Published 2024-01-22 Last modified 2026-06-17

Published	2024-01-22	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2024-01-22

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Pipeline policy audit (15 of 21 rules evaluated)

15 of 21 rules ran. The rest were never reached, because an earlier stage settled the CVE, a distinct claim from a rule that ran and found nothing.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? first match wins

1 rejected no-match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is the vulnerability ARMR's to address? first match wins

2 armr-patch-file no-match An ARMR patch file on disk for this CVE

3 armr-secure-rule-file no-match An ARMR security-rule template on disk for this CVE

4 manual-classification no-match A researcher's recorded decision for this specific CVE

5 manual classification no-match Manual classification of this CVE in the legacy dataset

6 non-java-upstream no-match A root cause in non-Java code: an OS kernel, a C library, or a bundled runtime

7 oracle-component no-match The defect being in a component of a tracked product the agent does not reach: JavaFX, the Java SE installer, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in. Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 osv-maven matched Queued for review Maven packages: org.clojure:clojure

9 cna-maven-package not-reached An affected Maven artifact named by the CNA itself

10 known-cpe-product not-reached An NVD CPE naming a product ARMR tracks

11 cna-cpe-product not-reached A CPE the CNA published naming a tracked product. Oracle publishes these on advisory day, months before NVD.

12 oracle-advisory-family not-reached A tracked product family named in Oracle's own risk matrix. CPE cannot carry a suite name, only a module.

13 non-deployable-product not-reached The only affected product being a sealed appliance image, where Java runs but no -javaagent can be attached

14 unmatched-product not-reached No tracked product matched above, and none present at all

disposition: What do we do about one that is? cumulative: every rule gets a turn

15 patch-hint matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (commit tier): https://github.com/clojure/clojure/commit/271674c9b484d798484d134a5ac40a6df15d3ac3

16 open-source-maven skipped The affected package being open source on Maven, so the fix can be read

17 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

18 no-exploit skipped With no fix path, a public exploit, or a CISA record of one

19 secure-rule-match decided it matched Protected by RASP CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data) is mitigable by an ARMR deserialization security rule.

20 below-action-threshold skipped Medium or Low severity, no KEV listing, no PoC clearing the evidence bar, no CISA verdict, no Oracle advisory

21 no-exploit-published skipped A published working exploit for this candidate, not only a proof of concept, a forecast, or nothing at all

What the scope rules read

The products the record named, and whether known-products.yaml tracks them. This is the evidence the scope stage decided on.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

clojure clojure not tracked cpe:2.3:a:clojure:clojure:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Raw stored JSON document for this CVE ↗ · NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗