{"id":"CVE-2016-4437","published":"2016-06-07T14:06:13Z","modified":"2026-06-17T00:47:33Z","title":"Apache Shiro Code Execution Vulnerability","vendor":"Apache","product":"Shiro","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"Apache Shiro before 1.2.5, when a cipher key has not been configured for the \"remember me\" feature, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or bypass intended access restrictions via an unspecified request parameter.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The flaw is in Apache Shiro, the Java security framework, and affects versions before 1.2.5 when the \"remember me\" feature is used without a configured cipher key. An attacker with network access can send a request containing an unspecified parameter to execute arbitrary code or bypass intended access restrictions, requiring no authentication or user interaction and only the vulnerable configuration.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-23T07:09:44Z"},"cvss":{"score":9.8,"severity":"CRITICAL","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.93039,"percentile":0.99832,"date":"2026-10-28","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2022-05-03","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-4437","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-11-03","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"},{"url":"https://securelist.com/strikeshark-campaign/120326/","date":"2026-06-24"},{"url":"https://www.hkcert.org/blog/strikeshark-campaign-exploits-known-vulnerabilities-to-deploy-cobalt-strike-via-sharkloader","date":"2026-07-16"},{"url":"https://hunt.io/blog/chinese-operator-secflow-claude-qwen-deepseek-asia","date":"2026-09-03"}],"evidenceTotal":4,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-321","name":"Use of Hard-coded Cryptographic Key"},{"id":"CWE-284","name":"Improper Access Control"}],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137310/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Information-Disclosure.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157497/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2035.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2036.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/538570/100/0/threaded","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91024","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800c7d727a00e04b78e2f06c5cd8960f09ca28c9b69d94c3c4c4%40%3Cannouncements.aurora.apache.org%3E","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137310/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Information-Disclosure.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157497/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2035.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2036.html","tags":["Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/538570/100/0/threaded","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/91024","tags":["Broken Link","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"]},{"url":"https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/ef3a800c7d727a00e04b78e2f06c5cd8960f09ca28c9b69d94c3c4c4%40%3Cannouncements.aurora.apache.org%3E","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2016-4437","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1190","name":"Exploit Public-Facing Application","tactics":["initial-access"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Code Execution","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[],"comment":"CVE-2016-4437 is a code execution vulnerability in Apache Shiro that allows remote attackers to execute code or bypass access restrictions via an unspecified request parameter when a cipher key has not been configured for the \"remember me\" feature.","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"CTID KEV capability group \"code execution\" is generic"},{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"source","basis":"ctid-kev","bases":["ctid-kev"],"basisDetail":"CTID Mappings Explorer KEV 07/28/2025 (ATT&CK 16.1); capability: Code Execution","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[],"comment":"CVE-2016-4437 is a code execution vulnerability in Apache Shiro that allows remote attackers to execute code or bypass access restrictions via an unspecified request parameter when a cipher key has not been configured for the \"remember me\" feature.","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"CTID KEV capability group \"code execution\" is generic"}],"reports":[],"affected":[{"ecosystem":"Maven","package":"org.apache.shiro:shiro-core","vulnerableRanges":["<1.2.5"],"patched":["1.2.5"],"from":["GHSA-p836-389h-j692"],"provenance":"source"}],"advisories":[{"id":"GHSA-p836-389h-j692","url":"https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-p836-389h-j692","severity":"CRITICAL","ecosystem":"Maven","package":"org.apache.shiro:shiro-core","vulnerableRanges":["<1.2.5"],"patched":["1.2.5"],"provenance":"source","from":"GHSA"}],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2022-4711","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2022-4711","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":48410,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/48410","title":"Apache Shiro 1.2.4 - Cookie RememberME Deserial RCE (Metasploit)","type":"remote","platform":"multiple","date":"2020-05-01","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2020-05-01"},"pocGithub":{"count":6,"skipped":1,"earliest":"2020-05-27","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/bkfish/Awesome_shiro","repos":[{"name":"bkfish/Awesome_shiro","url":"https://github.com/bkfish/Awesome_shiro","stars":55,"created":"2020-05-27"},{"name":"4nth0ny1130/shisoserial","url":"https://github.com/4nth0ny1130/shisoserial","stars":24,"created":"2021-12-23"},{"name":"pizza-power/CVE-2016-4437","url":"https://github.com/pizza-power/CVE-2016-4437","stars":2,"created":"2023-12-22"},{"name":"35789-gh/cve-2016-4437","url":"https://github.com/35789-gh/cve-2016-4437","stars":1,"created":"2026-02-19"},{"name":"xk-mt/CVE-2016-4437","url":"https://github.com/xk-mt/CVE-2016-4437","stars":0,"created":"2024-01-15"}]},"metasploit":[{"name":"Apache Shiro v1.2.4 Cookie RememberME Deserial RCE","module":"exploit/multi/http/shiro_rememberme_v124_deserialize","type":"exploit","disclosureDate":"2016-06-07","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/shiro_rememberme_v124_deserialize.rb"}],"nuclei":[{"id":"CVE-2016-4437","name":"Apache Shiro 1.2.4 Cookie RememberME - Deserial Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","severity":"high","path":"http/cves/2016/CVE-2016-4437.yaml","url":"https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2016/CVE-2016-4437.yaml"}],"first":{"date":"2016-06-07","source":"Metasploit","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/shiro_rememberme_v124_deserialize.rb"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/157497/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Remote-Code-Execution.html","http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/137310/Apache-Shiro-1.2.4-Information-Disclosure.html"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1190"],"provenance":"source"},{"stage":"primary","techniques":["T1059"],"provenance":"source"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2016-06-07","kind":"published","label":"Published (NVD)","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-4437","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2016-06-07","kind":"exploit-public","label":"First public exploit: Metasploit; later: Exploit-DB 2020-05-01, PoC-in-GitHub 2020-05-27","url":"https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/multi/http/shiro_rememberme_v124_deserialize.rb","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV evidence)","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"kev","label":"Added to CISA KEV","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","provenance":"source"},{"date":"2021-11-03","kind":"euvd-exploited","label":"ENISA EUVD: exploited","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2022-4711","provenance":"source"}],"speed":{"daysToPublicExploit":0,"firstExploitFrom":"Metasploit","daysToKev":1975},"priority":{"score":69.8,"factors":[{"name":"In a KEV catalog","points":35.0,"detail":"listed in CISA KEV and VulnCheck KEV"},{"name":"Recent KEV listing","points":0.0,"detail":"added 1821 days ago"},{"name":"Known ransomware use","points":0.0,"detail":"not known"},{"name":"EPSS percentile","points":19.97,"detail":"percentile 0.9983"},{"name":"Named in threat reports","points":0.0,"detail":"0 reports"},{"name":"Public exploit code","points":5.0,"detail":"1 NVD reference tagged Exploit; 1 Exploit-DB entry; 1 NVD exploit link; 6 PoC-in-GitHub repos; 1 Metasploit module; 1 nuclei template"},{"name":"Mentioned in OTX pulses","points":3.0,"detail":"50 pulses"},{"name":"CVSS severity","points":6.86,"detail":"base score 9.8"},{"name":"End-of-life product","points":0.0,"detail":"supported or unknown"}]}}