# CVE-2023-46131: Grails® data binding causes JVM crash and/or DoS

> A specially crafted web request can cause a JVM crash or denial of service in Grails applications using data binding.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 2 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** CLSA-2026-1784077496, GHSA-3pjv-r7w4-2cf5

## What is CVE-2023-46131?

CVE-2023-46131 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in grails-core, published on 20 Dec 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Grails is a framework used to build web applications with the Groovy programming language. A specially crafted web request can lead to a JVM crash or denial of service. Any Grails framework application using Grails data binding is vulnerable. This issue has been patched in version 3.3.17, 4.1.3, 5.3.4, 6.1.0.

Weakness: CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-46131?

8 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.grails:grails-databinding. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 2.0.0 | 3.3.17 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 2.0.0 | 3.3.17 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 4.0.0 | 4.1.3 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 4.0.0 | 4.1.3 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 5.0.0 | 5.3.4 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 5.0.0 | 5.3.4 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 6.0.0 | 6.1.0 |
| `org.grails:grails-databinding` | Maven | From 6.0.0 | 6.1.0 |

Products: Grails Grails.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-46131?

Upgrade org.grails:grails-databinding to a fixed version for your release line: 3.3.17, 4.1.3, 5.3.4 or 6.1.0.

## Is CVE-2023-46131 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-46131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in grails-core

- [CVE-2022-35912](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35912/): Grails framework Remote Code Execution via Data Binding (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-12728](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12728/): Incorrect Resource Transfer Between Spheres in Grails (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-46131 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-46131 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in grails-core, published on 20 Dec 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-46131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 3.3.17
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 2.0.0; fixed in 3.3.17
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 4.0.0; fixed in 4.1.3
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 4.0.0; fixed in 4.1.3
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 5.0.0; fixed in 5.3.4
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 5.0.0; fixed in 5.3.4
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 6.0.0; fixed in 6.1.0
- org.grails:grails-databinding (Maven): affected from 6.0.0; fixed in 6.1.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46131/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46131/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-46131
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-46131
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-46131

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-46131/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.