Is CVE-2023-51518 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-51518 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-51518 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-51518 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-51518?

CVE-2023-51518 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2023-51518

CRITICAL

CVE-2023-51518

CWE-502Published: February 27, 2024· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Apache James prior to version 3.7.5 and 3.8.0 exposes a JMX endpoint on localhost subject to pre-authentication deserialisation of untrusted data.

Given a deserialisation gadjet, this could be leveraged as part of an exploit chain that could result in privilege escalation.

Note that by default JMX endpoint is only bound locally.

We recommend users to:

- Upgrade to a non-vulnerable Apache James version

- Run Apache James isolated from other processes (docker - dedicated virtual machine)

- If possible turn off JMX

NVD Source

Risk Analysis

Apache James is vulnerable to pre-authentication deserialization of untrusted data via its JMX endpoint. This could be leveraged to achieve privilege escalation. It is not currently in the KEV.

No public exploit is known, and it is not in the KEV. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable.

Recommended Action

Upgrade to a non-vulnerable version, isolate the process, or disable the JMX endpoint entirely.

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-2023-51518 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.