📄 Description (English)
Apache Shiro Code Execution Vulnerability — Apache Shiro contains a vulnerability which may allow remote attackers to execute code or bypass intended access restrictions via an unspecified request parameter when a cipher key has not been configured for the "remember me" feature.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2016-4437 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in Apache Shiro's 'remember me' feature that uses a hardcoded default cipher key (AES encryption key) when no custom key is configured. This allows remote attackers to craft malicious serialized Java objects in the 'rememberMe' cookie, leading to arbitrary code execution on the server. With a CVSS score of 9.0 and publicly available exploits (including active exploitation in the wild), this vulnerability poses an extreme risk to any organization running Apache Shiro with default configurations. This CVE has been added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, confirming widespread active exploitation.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 5, 2026 21:15
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Apache Shiro is widely used as an authentication and authorization framework in Java-based enterprise applications across Saudi Arabia. Government portals (NCA-regulated), banking systems (SAMA-regulated), and enterprise applications in the energy sector (ARAMCO and subsidiaries) that use Java-based web applications are at significant risk. Telecom operators (STC, Mobily, Zain) running Java middleware with Shiro authentication are also vulnerable. Healthcare systems using Java-based electronic health records could be compromised, leading to patient data exposure. Given that many Saudi organizations use custom-built Java applications with Shiro for SSO and access control, the attack surface is substantial. Active exploitation campaigns have targeted this vulnerability globally, and Saudi critical infrastructure is a known target for advanced threat actors.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government
Banking
Energy
Telecommunications
Healthcare
Education
E-commerce
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
9.5
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Identify all applications using Apache Shiro by scanning for the 'rememberMe' cookie in HTTP responses and searching for Shiro dependencies in application codebases
2. Check if the default AES cipher key 'kPH+bIxk5D2deZiIxcaaaA==' is in use — if so, this is critically exploitable
3. Block or strip 'rememberMe' cookies at the WAF/reverse proxy level as an emergency measure
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
4. Upgrade Apache Shiro to version 1.2.5 or later (preferably the latest stable release 1.13.x+)
5. Configure a unique, randomly generated AES cipher key for the CookieRememberMeManager
6. Example configuration: securityManager.rememberMeManager.cipherKey = [unique base64 key]
COMPENSATING CONTROLS:
7. Disable the 'remember me' feature entirely if not business-critical
8. Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of Shiro-based applications
9. Deploy Java deserialization attack detection at WAF level (ModSecurity rules, AWS WAF, etc.)
DETECTION RULES:
10. Monitor for 'rememberMe=deleteMe' in HTTP response headers (indicator of Shiro presence)
11. Alert on unusually large 'rememberMe' cookie values (>500 bytes may indicate exploitation)
12. Deploy YARA/Snort rules for known Shiro deserialization exploit payloads
13. Monitor for ysoserial-generated payloads in network traffic
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تحديد جميع التطبيقات التي تستخدم Apache Shiro من خلال البحث عن ملف تعريف الارتباط 'rememberMe' في استجابات HTTP والبحث عن تبعيات Shiro في قواعد الكود
2. التحقق مما إذا كان مفتاح التشفير الافتراضي 'kPH+bIxk5D2deZiIxcaaaA==' قيد الاستخدام — إذا كان كذلك فالنظام معرض للاستغلال بشكل حرج
3. حظر أو إزالة ملفات تعريف الارتباط 'rememberMe' على مستوى جدار حماية التطبيقات كإجراء طارئ
إرشادات التصحيح:
4. ترقية Apache Shiro إلى الإصدار 1.2.5 أو أحدث (يُفضل أحدث إصدار مستقر 1.13.x+)
5. تكوين مفتاح تشفير AES فريد ومُولّد عشوائياً لـ CookieRememberMeManager
6. مثال على التكوين: securityManager.rememberMeManager.cipherKey = [مفتاح base64 فريد]
الضوابط التعويضية:
7. تعطيل ميزة 'تذكرني' بالكامل إذا لم تكن ضرورية للأعمال
8. تطبيق تجزئة الشبكة للحد من تعرض التطبيقات المبنية على Shiro
9. نشر كشف هجمات إلغاء التسلسل في Java على مستوى جدار حماية التطبيقات
قواعد الكشف:
10. مراقبة 'rememberMe=deleteMe' في رؤوس استجابة HTTP (مؤشر على وجود Shiro)
11. التنبيه على قيم ملفات تعريف الارتباط 'rememberMe' الكبيرة بشكل غير عادي (أكثر من 500 بايت قد تشير إلى استغلال)
12. نشر قواعد YARA/Snort لحمولات استغلال إلغاء التسلسل المعروفة في Shiro
13. مراقبة حمولات ysoserial في حركة مرور الشبكة
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2-3-1 (Vulnerability Management)
ECC 2-3-4 (Patch Management)
ECC 2-5-1 (Web Application Security)
ECC 2-2-1 (Access Control)
ECC 2-6-1 (Cryptography Management)
🔵 SAMA CSF
SAMA CSF 3.3.3 (Patch Management)
SAMA CSF 3.3.5 (Vulnerability Management)
SAMA CSF 3.1.3 (Access Control)
SAMA CSF 3.3.7 (Application Security)
SAMA CSF 3.4.1 (Incident Management)
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.8.8 (Management of Technical Vulnerabilities)
A.8.9 (Configuration Management)
A.8.24 (Use of Cryptography)
A.8.26 (Application Security Requirements)
A.5.7 (Threat Intelligence)
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0
PCI DSS 6.3.3 (Patching Security Vulnerabilities)
PCI DSS 6.2 (Custom Application Security)
PCI DSS 11.3 (Penetration Testing)
PCI DSS 2.2 (System Configuration Standards)
🔗 References & Sources 0
No references.
📦 Affected Products / CPE 1 entries
Apache:Shiro