CVE-2015-6420

Name: CVE-2015-6420
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2015-12-15T05:59:07.823+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

CRITICALCVSS 9.8/10EPSS 18.76%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2015-6420 is a critical-severity vulnerability rated 9.8/10 on the CVSS scale. Serialized-object interfaces in certain Cisco Collaboration and Social Media; Endpoint Clients and Client Software; Network Application, Service, and Acceleration; Network and Content Security Devices; Network Management and Provisioning; Routing and Switching - Enterprise and Service Provider; Unified Computing; Voice and Unified Communications Devices; Video, Streaming, TelePresence, and Transcoding Devices; Wireless; and Cisco Hosted Services products allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted serialized Java object, related to the Apache Commons Collections (ACC) library.. EPSS estimates a 18.76% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Serialized-object interfaces in certain Cisco Collaboration and Social Media; Endpoint Clients and Client Software; Network Application, Service, and Acceleration; Network and Content Security Devices; Network Management and Provisioning; Routing and Switching - Enterprise and Service Provider; Unified Computing; Voice and Unified Communications Devices; Video, Streaming, TelePresence, and Transcoding Devices; Wireless; and Cisco Hosted Services products allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted serialized Java object, related to the Apache Commons Collections (ACC) library.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

9.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

18.76%

96.9th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-502

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Apache	Commons Collections	>= 3.0, < 3.2.2
Apache	Commons Collections	4.0

References

http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20151209-java-deserializationThird Party Advisory
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/78872Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05376917Third Party Advisory
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05390722Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r352e40ca9874d1beb4ad95403792adca7eb295e6bc3bd7b65fabcc21%40%3Ccommits.samza.apache.org%3EVendor Advisory
https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/581311Third Party Advisory
https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2017-14Third Party Advisory
https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2017-23Third Party Advisory
http://tools.cisco.com/security/center/content/CiscoSecurityAdvisory/cisco-sa-20151209-java-deserializationThird Party Advisory
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/security-advisory/cpujul2018-4258247.htmlThird Party Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/78872Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://foxglovesecurity.com/2015/11/06/what-do-weblogic-websphere-jboss-jenkins-opennms-and-your-application-have-in-common-this-vulnerability/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05376917Third Party Advisory
https://h20566.www2.hpe.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/kb/docDisplay?docId=emr_na-c05390722Third Party Advisory
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r352e40ca9874d1beb4ad95403792adca7eb295e6bc3bd7b65fabcc21%40%3Ccommits.samza.apache.org%3EVendor Advisory
https://news.apache.org/foundation/entry/apache_commons_statement_to_widespreadVendor Advisory
https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/576313Third Party Advisory
https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/581311Third Party Advisory
https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2017-14Third Party Advisory
https://www.tenable.com/security/research/tra-2017-23Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Dec 15, 2015
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2015-6420?

How severe is CVE-2015-6420?

CVE-2015-6420 has a CVSS score of 9.8/10 (CRITICAL severity). The EPSS model estimates a 18.76% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2015-6420?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2015-6420?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST