Background exploitation KEV catalog Ransomware No authentication
CVE-2021-45046

Apache Log4j2 Deserialization of Untrusted Data Vulnerability

It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15.0 was incomplete in certain non-default configurations. This could allows attackers with control over Thread Context Map (MDC) input data when the logging…

CheckOps priority index
9.6/10 Patch within 24 h
Severity9.0
Probability10.0
Exploitation5/5

Severity = CVSS. Probability = EPSS (FIRST). Exploitation = public signals: KEV, EUVD, ransomware, EPSS above 10 %, no account required.

EPSS · today 99.98% higher than 99.98% of CVEs
CVSS 3.1 9.0 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:
Exploited for 1,282 days 01 May 2023
CISA due date 22 May 2023 for US federal agencies

Exploitation probability EPSS · FIRST

05010026 Sep05 Oct15 Oct24 Oct02 Nov
EPSS probability (%)Percentile among all CVEs

Exploitation signals 5 / 5

  • KEV catalog (CISA)01 May 2023
  • Exploited in EUVD (ENISA)01 May 2023
  • Used by ransomwareyes
  • EPSS above 10 %99.98%
  • No account, over the networkyes

What to do

Fix

Update to a fixed version: 2.16.0 2.12.2 2.3.1

CISA guidance: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Meanwhile

Take the service off the internet or restrict access to it, watch the logs and look for signs of compromise.

Manufacturers (CRA)

Exploited vulnerability in your product: early warning to ENISA within 24 h, then notification within 72 h (Article 14 of the Cyber Resilience Act). The CRA explained

Description ENISA EUVD

It was found that the fix to address CVE-2021-44228 in Apache Log4j 2.15.0 was incomplete in certain non-default configurations. This could allows attackers with control over Thread Context Map (MDC) input data when the logging configuration uses a non-default Pattern Layout with either a Context Lookup (for example, $${ctx:loginId}) or a Thread Context Map pattern (%X, %mdc, or %MDC) to craft malicious input data using a JNDI Lookup pattern resulting in an information leak and remote code execution in some environments and local code execution in all environments. Log4j 2.16.0 (Java 8) and 2.12.2 (Java 7) fix this issue by removing support for message lookup patterns and disabling JNDI functionality by default.

Affected products

Apache Log4jLog4j2
Affected versions
  • Apache Log4j2 <2.16.0
Weaknesses (CWE)

Open source packages OSV

  • org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-coreMaven · GHSA-7rjr-3q55-vv33
    fixed in 2.16.0
  • org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-coreMaven · GHSA-7rjr-3q55-vv33
    fixed in 2.12.2
  • org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-coreMaven · GHSA-7rjr-3q55-vv33
    fixed in 2.3.1

Timeline

  1. Published

  2. Exploitation reported (ENISA)

  3. Added to the KEV catalog

  4. CISA remediation due date

  5. EPSS peak: 99.98%

References

Other exploited vulnerabilities from the same vendor

  • CVE-2016-3081Apache Struts Command Injection Vulnerability
    8.5 · Rising fast
  • CVE-2026-34486Apache Tomcat Missing Encryption of Sensitive Data Vulnerability
    8.4 · Actively exploited
  • CVE-2026-34197Apache ActiveMQ Improper Input Validation Vulnerability
    8.3 · Background exploitation
  • CVE-2024-38475Apache HTTP Server Improper Escaping of Output Vulnerability
    9.0 · Background exploitation
  • CVE-2025-24813Apache Tomcat Path Equivalence Vulnerability
    9.4 · Background exploitation
  • CVE-2024-45195Apache OFBiz Forced Browsing Vulnerability
    9.3 · Background exploitation

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Sources: CISA KEV · ENISA EUVD · FIRST EPSS · OSV. Public data aggregated by CheckOps, updated automatically. Source texts remain the property of their authors. All exploited vulnerabilities