CVE-2025-68161

Apache Log4j Core: Missing TLS hostname verification in Socket appender

MEDIUM
4.8
CVSS Score
Published: December 18, 2025 at 08:47 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 09:58 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLog4j

Using Apache Log4j Core by Apache Software Foundation?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Apache Log4j Core - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
MEDIUM4.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.8%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

The Socket Appender in Apache Log4j Core versions 2.0-beta9 through 2.25.2 does not perform TLS hostname verification of the peer certificate, even when the verifyHostName https://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/manual/appenders/network.html#SslConfiguration-attr-verifyHostName configuration attribute or the log4j2.sslVerifyHostName https://logging.apache.org/log4j/2.x/manual/systemproperties.html#log4j2.sslVerifyHostName system property is set to true. This issue may allow a man-in-the-middle attacker to intercept or redirect log traffic under the following conditions: * The attacker is able to intercept or redirect network traffic between the client and the log receiver. * The attacker can present a server certificate issued by a certification authority trusted by the Socket Appender’s configured trust store (or by the default Java trust store if no custom trust store is configured). Users are advised to upgrade to Apache Log4j Core version 2.25.3, which addresses this issue. As an alternative mitigation, the Socket Appender may be configured to use a private or restricted trust root to limit the set of trusted certificates.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

2.0-beta9 ≤ v < 2.25.32.0.1 ≤ v < 2.25.33.0.0-alpha1 ≤ v ≤ 3.0.0-beta32.02.0 beta92.0 rc12.0 rc1-rc12.0 rc22.0-beta93.0.0-alpha1
Affected range stops below 2.25.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
HIGH
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
LOW
Integrity
LOW
Availability
NONE
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-297CWE-295

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card