Due to its limited impact, CVE-2013-5679 is considered a low-severity vulnerability.
Status: Deferred
Last updated: 🕧 11 Apr 2025, 00:51 UTC
Originally published on: 🕔 30 Sep 2013, 17:09 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 4210 days
CVSS Release: version 2
CVE-2013-5679: The authenticated-encryption feature in the symmetric-encryption implementation in the OWASP Enterprise Security API (ESAPI) for Java 2.x before 2.1.0 does not properly resist tampering with serialized ciphertext, which makes it easier for remote attackers to bypass intended cryptographic protection mechanisms via an attack against authenticity in the default configuration, involving a null MAC and a zero MAC length.
The exploitability of CVE-2013-5679 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2013-5679 requires high complexity, reducing its exploitability but still posing a risk.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2013-5679, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2013-5679, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.31% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 70.25%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 29.75% of others.
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