Is CVE-2023-38647 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-38647 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-38647 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-38647 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-38647?

CVE-2023-38647 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

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CRITICAL

CVE-2023-38647

CWE-502Published: July 26, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

An attacker can use SnakeYAML to deserialize java.net.URLClassLoader and make it load a JAR from a specified URL, and then deserialize javax.script.ScriptEngineManager to load code using that ClassLoader. This unbounded deserialization can likely lead to remote code execution. The code can be run in Helix REST start and Workflow creation.

Affect all the versions lower and include 1.2.0.

Affected products: helix-core, helix-rest

Mitigation: Short term, stop using any YAML based configuration and workflow creation.

Long term, all Helix version bumping up to 1.3.0

NVD Source

Risk Analysis

Apache Helix is vulnerable to unbounded deserialization via SnakeYAML, which can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution. This critical flaw affects Helix REST and workflow creation processes.

No public exploit is known for this vulnerability, but it is remotely exploitable.

Recommended Action

Upgrade to Helix version 1.3.0 or later; in the short term, discontinue the use of YAML-based configurations and workflow creation.

Generated by the CTIWATCH analysis pipeline from this CVE's metadata (CVSS, EPSS, KEV status, exploit intelligence). Verify against vendor advisories before acting.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-38647 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-502): Insecure deserialization vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious objects during deserialization, potentially enabling remote code execution.