Threats / Apache / CVE-2023-46604
CVE-2023-46604
· EUVD no mirror located
· GCVE no mirror located
Verified 2026-08-04
Apache ActiveMQ vulnerability
Apache ActiveMQ contains a deserialization vulnerability in the OpenWire protocol allowing remote code execution through malicious serialized class types.
Verdict
Today item, not a backlog item.
A remote attacker with network access to an ActiveMQ broker can execute arbitrary shell commands by crafting malicious serialized objects that instantiate arbitrary classes on the broker's classpath.
CISA KEV Yes · 2023-11-025Ransomware use Flagged5EPSS 0.99654 (verify live)6Exploit Weaponized · public PoC7CVSS 103CISA SSVC Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Impact: total4
01
Is it exploitable?
— the evidence, ranked above the scoreExploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
140 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2023-11-02), flagged for known ransomware use.
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.99654 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
CVSS 10 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H) · Affected: Apache, ActiveMQ. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.CVSS — CNA-assigned (CVE.org), version 3.1, set at disclosure.
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data — weakness family: Injection.CWE — CNA-assigned (CVE.org); the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
CISA SSVC (triage disposition)
Exploitation: active · Automatable: yes · Technical Impact: totalCISA's own stakeholder-specific triage inputs, published in the CVE record (CISA Coordinator role). NOTE: this is CISA's three decision points; the final Act/Attend/Track decision also requires a Mission & Well-being input not published here, so no overall decision is asserted.
Currency of the record
CISA added this to its KEV catalog 6 days after the CVE record was published.KEV lag = CISA-KEV dateAdded − CVE.org datePublished; a floor on how long the known-exploited flaw sat in the public record before the federal catalog listed it. Severity/weakness here is CNA- or CISA-assigned (current at disclosure), independent of NVD's analysis backlog.
Public exploit available
Public exploit tooling is catalogued for this CVE (a functional/weaponized public exploit). Catalog entries: Metasploit module, nuclei template. We link the catalog page(s) only — no payload or code is hosted or restated here.Link, never host — the catalog page is the source; basicsecurity.net does not redistribute payloads.
02
Who’s exploiting it?
— attribution turns risk into urgencyAttribution not established
No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.
03
Why it matters
— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board1
Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1
Attacker
I craft a malicious serialized object targeting the OpenWire protocol with a class type that exists on the broker's classpath.
Business
The broker deserializes untrusted data without proper validation, instantiating the attacker-controlled class.
2
Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2
Attacker
I trigger instantiation of a gadget class that executes shell commands during object construction or initialization.
Business
Arbitrary code execution occurs on the broker with the privileges of the ActiveMQ process.
3
Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3
Attacker
I establish command execution to deploy ransomware, exfiltrate data, or pivot to internal systems.
Business
Critical infrastructure and business operations are compromised, leading to data loss, service disruption, and financial impact.
04
What to do
— defensible action- Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05