`CVE-2023-40743` Apache Axis

Affected software	Apache Axis
Severity	9.8 Critical CVSS 3.1 2 scores
Weakness	Improper input validation (CWE-20)
Published	5 Sep 2023
Updated	17 Jun 2026

Tagged unsupported-when-assigned. The affected software was already out of support when the CVE was assigned.

Description

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.

CWE-75

Exploitation status

No public exploit

No exploit has been reported in the sources we check. Published 3 years ago.

CISA KEV not listed
VulnCheck KEV not listed
CISA Vulnrichment exploitation: none
Indexed PoC none indexed
EPSS 3.3% chance in 30 days

Waratek protection

No exploit published

Within Waratek scope. In the sources we check, nobody has published exploit code for this CVE or reported it being exploited.

A public code fix exists: apache/axis-axis1-java 7e66753.

Protection none
Action unverified
Review automated Upstream data
Record active unsupported-when-assigned

Decided by	Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all
Finding	This CVE is not listed in CISA KEV or VulnCheck KEV, CISA Vulnrichment records no active exploitation, no reviewed exploit catalogue carries an entry for it, and no GitHub PoC repository for it has 5 or more stars. Nobody has published exploit code worth tracing, so it is not a candidate for a rule ahead of the ones where somebody has; an upstream fix path does exist, so the remediation half of the candidacy still holds. This is a statement about what has been published, not about whether the defect is reachable or serious.
Candidate fix	https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/7e66753427466590d6def0125e448d2791723210 : a commit: the change itself

Decided by

Exploit code for this candidate, published in a reviewed catalogue or a GitHub repository with 5 or more stars, or in use per CISA or VulnCheck; not only a CISA verdict, a forecast, or nothing at all

Finding

This CVE is not listed in CISA KEV or VulnCheck KEV, CISA Vulnrichment records no active exploitation, no reviewed exploit catalogue carries an entry for it, and no GitHub PoC repository for it has 5 or more stars. Nobody has published exploit code worth tracing, so it is not a candidate for a rule ahead of the ones where somebody has; an upstream fix path does exist, so the remediation half of the candidacy still holds. This is a statement about what has been published, not about whether the defect is reachable or serious.

Candidate fix

https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/7e66753427466590d6def0125e448d2791723210 : 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

We show the highest score from the newest CVSS version. Scores from different versions can't be compared, and the first score listed is sometimes a 0.0 placeholder.

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 and releases

Oracle advisories

Advisory	Type	Quarter	Products Oracle names in its risk matrix
Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2025 ↗	CPU	2025-Q2	Oracle Food and Beverage Applications / Reporting (Apache Axis) (9.1.34-9.1.36)

Advisory

Type

Quarter

Products Oracle names in its risk matrix

Oracle Critical Patch Update April 2025 ↗

CPU

2025-Q2

Oracle Food and Beverage Applications / Reporting (Apache Axis) (9.1.34-9.1.36)

Oracle components and versions

Family	Component	Versions, as Oracle lists them	Read as
Oracle Food and Beverage Applications	Reporting (Apache Axis)	9.1.34-9.1.36

Family

Component

Versions, as Oracle lists them

Read as

Oracle Food and Beverage Applications

Reporting (Apache Axis)

9.1.34-9.1.36

Maven packages

Affected and fixed versions, from OSV.dev

Package	Introduced	Fixed	Last affected
`org.apache.axis:axis`	0	none	1.4
`axis:axis`	0	none	1.4

Products and versions

3 products, 3 version entries

Source	Vendor	Product	Scheme	Affected versions
nvd	apache	axis	generic	＜ 2023.8.1
osv	axis	axis	generic	≤ 1.4
osv	org.apache.axis	axis	generic	≤ 1.4

Source

Vendor

Product

Scheme

Affected versions

nvd

apache

axis

generic

＜ 2023.8.1

osv

axis

generic

≤ 1.4

osv

org.apache.axis

axis

generic

≤ 1.4

References

URL	Tags
https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/7e66753427466590d6def0125e448d2791723210	commit
https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java	PACKAGE
https://lists.apache.org/thread/gs0qgk2mgss7zfhzdd6ftfjvm4kp7v82	WEB
https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/10/msg00025.html	WEB

URL

Timeline

Published	2023-09-05	By the CVE Program.
NVD record modified	2026-06-17	NVD's own last-modified date for this record.

Published

2023-09-05

By the CVE Program.

NVD record modified

2026-06-17

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

How VRT decided (17 of 24 rules ran)

17 of 24 rules ran. The rest didn't run because an earlier rule had already settled the CVE.

# Rule Outcome Status Detail

identity: Does this identifier describe a vulnerability at all? the first rule that matches decides

1 rejected no match CVE Program withdrawal of this identifier

scope: Is it a vulnerability Waratek protects? the first rule that matches decides

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 JInitiator browser plug-in, the native WebLogic proxy plug-in, or a native part of Oracle Application Server or Collaboration Suite (HTTP Server, Web Cache, Internet Directory, mail and calendar servers). Oracle gives these no CPE of their own and names them only in the description.

8 java-client-side no match Oracle's own risk-matrix note saying the CVE is reached only through untrusted code in the Java sandbox (applets, Web Start) or only through a client installation of Java, so a server running its own trusted code is not exposed

9 osv-maven matched In scope Maven packages: org.apache.axis:axis, axis:axis

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

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

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

13 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.

14 cna-named-product not reached A tracked product named in words by the CVE's own CNA, on a record with no CPE yet. Apache and Eclipse publish these on advisory day, before NVD adds CPE data.

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

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

disposition: What do we do about one that is? every rule runs

17 patch-hint matched Mitigation candidate References include candidate fix URL (commit tier): https://github.com/apache/axis-axis1-java/commit/7e66753427466590d6def0125e448d2791723210

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

19 poc-derivable skipped An indexed exploit clearing the evidence bar to reverse-engineer, where there is no source to read

20 no-exploit skipped Nothing to build a rule from yet: no published exploit, no CISA record of exploitation and no source-level change to read

21 secure-rule-match no match A vulnerability class already blocked by an ARMR security rule

22 exploited-no-fix-or-poc skipped Somebody exploiting this CVE (a CISA or VulnCheck KEV listing, or a CISA verdict of active exploitation), with no fix, source code or PoC to build a rule from

23 below-action-threshold no match Severity is CRITICAL — only MEDIUM/LOW are deprioritized

24 no-exploit-published decided it matched No exploit published No exploit code has been published, and an upstream fix path does exist, so the remediation half of the candidacy still holds.

Products the scope rules checked

The products this CVE's record names, and whether VRT tracks each one. The scope rules decided on these.

Vendor Product Tracked CPE Source

apache axis not tracked cpe:2.3:a:apache:axis:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

NVD ↗ · CVE.org ↗