CVE-2022-30126 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Apache Tika Regular Expression Denial of Service in Standards Extractor

Understanding CVE-2022-30126

This CVE refers to a vulnerability in Apache Tika that could allow an attacker to trigger a denial of service by exploiting a specific regular expression in the StandardsText class.

What is CVE-2022-30126?

This vulnerability exists in Apache Tika due to a flawed regular expression used by the StandardsExtractingContentHandler, potentially leading to a denial of service situation for users utilizing this non-standard handler.

The Impact of CVE-2022-30126

The impact of CVE-2022-30126 is considered low. However, an attacker exploiting this vulnerability could cause a denial of service by triggering backtracking on a specially crafted file. Users running the affected handler versions are at risk.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-30126

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability is rooted in a flawed regular expression within the StandardsText class of Apache Tika, which could be exploited to cause a denial of service.

Affected Systems and Versions

Apache Tika versions up to and including 1.28.1 and 2.3.0 are affected by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

An attacker can exploit the flawed regular expression by leveraging the StandardsExtractingContentHandler, resulting in denial of service conditions.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to upgrade to Apache Tika versions 1.28.2 or 2.4.0 to mitigate the vulnerability and prevent potential denial of service attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

In addition to patching, organizations should implement robust security measures and practices to reduce the risk of future vulnerabilities and attacks.

Patching and Updates

Regularly update and patch Apache Tika to ensure that the software is protected against known vulnerabilities and exploits.