CVE-2016-4978 Apache ActiveMQ Artemis RCE Via Deserialization Gadget Chain
Remote authenticated users can execute arbitrary code via unsafe deserialization in Apache ActiveMQ Artemis message handling.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2016-4978?
CVE-2016-4978 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform, published on 27 Sep 2016. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The getObject method of the javax.jms.ObjectMessage class in the (1) JMS Core client, (2) Artemis broker, and (3) Artemis REST component in Apache ActiveMQ Artemis before 1.4.0 might allow remote authenticated users with permission to send messages to the Artemis broker to deserialize arbitrary objects and execute arbitrary code by leveraging gadget classes being present on the Artemis classpath.
Weakness: CWE-502
Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-4978?
2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.activemq:artemis-pom. It affects 2 products.
| Package | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
org.apache.activemq:artemis-pom Maven | All versions | 1.4.0 |
org.apache.activemq:artemis-pom Maven | All versions | 1.4.0 |
Products include Apache Artemis, Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform.
How do I fix CVE-2016-4978?
Upgrade org.apache.activemq:artemis-pom to 1.4.0 or later.
Upgrade, and only deserialise data from trusted sources or with an allow-list of types. More about Unsafe deserialization.
Is CVE-2016-4978 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-4978 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform
- CVE-2026-57967 Apache Artemis, Apache ActiveMQ Artemis: Missing authentication on CORE protocol session reattachment
- CVE-2026-27446 Apache Artemis, Apache ActiveMQ Artemis: Auth bypass for Core downstream federation
- CVE-2026-49364 Information disclosure in Apache ActiveMQ Artemis
- CVE-2026-67593 Missing authorization in Apache ActiveMQ Artemis
- CVE-2023-50780 Apache ActiveMQ Artemis: Authenticated users could perform RCE via Jolokia MBeans
All Redhat Jboss Enterprise Application Platform vulnerabilities
Sources
Also known as GHSA-r9vv-xj4w-g8m8.