CWE-579 Variant Draft

J2EE Bad Practices: Non-serializable Object Stored in Session

This vulnerability occurs when a Java application stores an object in the user's session that cannot be serialized, which can break critical application features and hurt reliability.

Definition

What is CWE-579?

This vulnerability occurs when a Java application stores an object in the user's session that cannot be serialized, which can break critical application features and hurt reliability.
Modern Java applications often run across multiple servers (JVMs) for better performance and uptime. To present a seamless experience, the application server needs to copy a user's session data between these servers, especially if one fails. This replication process requires every object stored in the `HttpSession` to be serializable—that is, convertible into a byte stream for transfer. If a non-serializable object is placed in the session, this failover mechanism breaks, potentially causing errors during server scaling or outages. For developers, this means any class whose instance is added to the session via `setAttribute()` must implement the `java.io.Serializable` interface. Common culprits include custom helper classes, third-party library objects, or database connections that weren't designed for serialization. Failing to ensure this prevents session replication, undermining the reliability benefits of a clustered deployment and leading to inconsistent user experiences during infrastructure changes.
Auswirkungen in der Praxis

Real-world CVEs caused by CWE-579

Bisher sind in MITREs Katalog keine öffentlichen CVE-Referenzen mit dieser CWE verknüpft.

Wie Angreifer es ausnutzen

Angreiferpfad Schritt für Schritt

  1. 1

    Identifiziere einen Codepfad, der nicht vertrauenswürdige Eingaben ohne Validierung verarbeitet.

  2. 2

    Erzeuge eine Payload, die das unsichere Verhalten auslöst — Injection, Traversal, Overflow oder Logik-Missbrauch.

  3. 3

    Liefere die Payload über einen normalen Request aus und beobachte die Reaktion der Anwendung.

  4. 4

    Iteriere, bis die Antwort Daten preisgibt, Angreifer-Code ausführt oder Berechtigungen eskaliert.

Verwundbares Codebeispiel

Vulnerable Java

The following class adds itself to the session, but because it is not serializable, the session can no longer be replicated.

Verwundbar Java 
public class DataGlob {
  		String globName;
  		String globValue;
  		public void addToSession(HttpSession session) {
  			session.setAttribute("glob", this);
  		}
  }
Sicheres Codebeispiel

Secure pseudo

Sicher pseudo 
// Validate, sanitize, or use a safe API before reaching the sink.
function handleRequest(input) {
  const safe = validateAndEscape(input);
  return executeWithGuards(safe);
}
What changed: the unsafe sink is replaced (or the input is validated/escaped) so the same payload no longer triggers the weakness.
Präventions-Checkliste

How to prevent CWE-579

  • Implementation In order for session replication to work, the values the product stores as attributes in the session must implement the Serializable interface.
Erkennungssignale

How to detect CWE-579

Automated Static Analysis High

Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)

Plexicus Auto-Fix

Plexicus erkennt CWE-579 automatisch und öffnet in unter 60 Sekunden einen Fix-PR.

Codex Remedium scannt jeden Commit, identifiziert genau diese Schwachstelle und liefert einen reviewer-ready Pull Request mit dem Patch. Keine Tickets. Keine Hand-offs.

Demo anfordern Plexicus kostenlos testen
Häufig gestellte Fragen

Frequently asked questions

Was ist CWE-579?

This vulnerability occurs when a Java application stores an object in the user's session that cannot be serialized, which can break critical application features and hurt reliability.

Wie gravierend ist CWE-579?

MITRE hat für diese Schwachstelle keine Exploit-Wahrscheinlichkeit veröffentlicht. Behandle sie als mittlere Auswirkung, bis dein Threat Model anderes belegt.

Welche Sprachen oder Plattformen sind von CWE-579 betroffen?

MITRE lists the following affected platforms: Java.

Wie kann ich CWE-579 verhindern?

In order for session replication to work, the values the product stores as attributes in the session must implement the Serializable interface.

Wie erkennt und behebt Plexicus CWE-579?

Die SAST-Engine von Plexicus erkennt die Datenfluss-Signatur von CWE-579 bei jedem Commit. Bei einem Treffer öffnet unser Codex-Remedium-Agent einen Fix-PR mit korrigiertem Code, Tests und einer einzeiligen Zusammenfassung für den Reviewer.

Wo erfahre ich mehr über CWE-579?

MITRE veröffentlicht die kanonische Definition unter https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/579.html. Für ergänzende Hinweise kannst du auch die OWASP- und NIST-Dokumentation heranziehen.

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Weaknesses related to CWE-579

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CWE-304 Sibling

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CWE-325 Sibling

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CWE-329 Sibling

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Ressourcen

Further reading

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