Floyd Newkirk

Floyd Newkirk is a name associated with a specific vulnerability in the Apache Commons Collections library, a popular Java library providing data structure implementations. This vulnerability, often referred to as the "Commons Collections vulnerability," arises from the unsafe deserialization of Java objects within the library.

The vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code on a server or system that uses a vulnerable version of Apache Commons Collections. This is achieved by crafting a specially designed serialized Java object that, when deserialized, triggers a chain of method calls that ultimately lead to the execution of malicious code.

The exploit typically involves leveraging the InvokerTransformer class within Apache Commons Collections, combined with other classes, to indirectly invoke methods like Runtime.getRuntime().exec(), enabling the attacker to execute arbitrary system commands.

The impact of this vulnerability can be severe, potentially leading to full system compromise. Exploitation is possible if an application deserializes untrusted data without proper sanitization and is using a vulnerable version of Apache Commons Collections.

Due to the widespread use of Apache Commons Collections, this vulnerability has been exploited in numerous applications and frameworks. It has been a popular target for attackers targeting Java applications. Security best practices include keeping all software and libraries up-to-date, avoiding deserialization of untrusted data, and using security tools to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Remediation involves updating to a non-vulnerable version of Apache Commons Collections or implementing other mitigation strategies, such as filtering deserialized objects.