Summary
CVE-2026-82384 is a critical unauthenticated deserialization vulnerability (CWE-502) in Apache Roller’s XML-RPC endpoint that can lead to remote code execution. The flaw affects Apache Roller 6.1.5 and carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (Critical). Because the vulnerable code path is processed before any authentication check, a remote attacker with no credentials can trigger deserialization of attacker-controlled data.
Technical details
- Root cause: Roller’s
XmlRpcServletis configured withenabledForExtensions=true, causing the underlying Apache ws-xmlrpc library to accept vendor extension value types — includingex:serializable, a base64-encoded Java serialized object. - Trigger condition: This vendor-extension parsing occurs during initial HTTP request handling, before the Blogger/MetaWeblog authentication checks are evaluated, allowing a crafted request to reach the deserialization logic without valid credentials.
- Persistence of exposure: The XML-RPC servlet is mapped unconditionally in
web.xml, so the vulnerable parsing path remains reachable even when the globalwebservices.enableXmlRpcsetting is disabled — no non-default configuration is required for exploitation. - Attack vector: Network-based; an attacker sends a crafted XML-RPC POST request (containing an
ex:serializableelement with a malicious serialized Java object) to the Roller XML-RPC endpoint. - Impact: Successful exploitation of a suitable deserialization gadget chain can result in arbitrary code execution in the context of the Roller application/JVM process, with complete loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
- A public proof-of-concept and exploitation tooling for this vulnerability have been published, increasing the likelihood of opportunistic scanning and exploitation.
Affected software
- Apache Roller 6.1.5
Severity
- CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 9.8 (Critical)
- Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Mitigation and recommended actions
- Immediate: Upgrade to Apache Roller 6.1.6 or later, which disables the vendor extension types on the XML-RPC servlet and rejects requests when the XML-RPC feature is globally disabled.
- If immediate patching is not possible:
- Block external network access to the XML-RPC servlet path on internet-facing Roller instances.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to inspect and drop XML-RPC requests containing serialization markers such as
ex:serializable. - Monitor server logs for unusual or malformed requests targeting the XML-RPC endpoint to detect potential exploitation attempts.

