Hessian protocol configuration vulnerability in Apache Dubbo

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

9.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2021-36163: 3.25% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 88.36 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

In Apache Dubbo, users may choose to use the Hessian protocol. The Hessian protocol is implemented on top of HTTP and passes the body of a POST request directly to a HessianSkeleton: New HessianSkeleton are created without any configuration of the serialization factory and therefore without applying the dubbo properties for applying allowed or blocked type lists. In addition, the generic service is always exposed and therefore attackers do not need to figure out a valid service/method name pair. This is fixed in 2.7.13, 2.6.10.1

Published by the source

8 Sep 2021, 20:14 UTC

Last modified by the source

1 Feb 2023, 05:06 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:07 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-cpx9-4rwv-486v

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2021-36163

Advisory: Hessian protocol configuration vulnerability in Apache Dubbo
IDs: CVE-2021-36163, GHSA-cpx9-4rwv-486v
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2021-36163 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:07 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.8)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: org.apache.dubbo:dubbo 2.7.13, 2.6.10.1. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven org.apache.dubbo:dubbo: affected >= 2.7.0, < 2.7.13; <= 2.6.10; fixed in 2.7.13, 2.6.10.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven org.apache.dubbo:dubbo: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on org.apache.dubbo:dubbo.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-cpx9-4rwv-486v (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-cpx9-4rwv-486v lists affected ranges: Maven org.apache.dubbo:dubbo >=2.7.0 =0 <=2.6.10)

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