CVE-2023-31038
Apache Log4cxx: SQL injection when using ODBC appender
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06)
Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected.
Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in.
Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible:
-
Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time)
-
ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file
-
User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender.
Example of old configuration snippet:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" />
... other params here ...
</appender>
The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" />
<param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ...
</appender>
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
8.8
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06)
Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected.
Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in.
Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible:
-
Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time)
-
ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file
-
User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender.
Example of old configuration snippet:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" />
... other params here ...
</appender>
The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" />
<param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ...
</appender>
- Record
CVE-2023-31038- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-89
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
8.8
Apache Log4cxx: SQL injection when using ODBC appender
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06)
Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected.
Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in.
Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible:
-
Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time)
-
ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file
-
User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender.
Example of old configuration snippet:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" />
... other params here ...
</appender>
The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" />
<param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ...
</appender>
- Record
CVE-2023-31038- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-89
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-35375
8.8
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06)
Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected.
Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in.
Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible:
-
Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time)
-
ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file
-
User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender.
Example of old configuration snippet:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" />
... other params here ...
</appender>
The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" />
<param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ...
</appender>
- Record
EUVD-2023-35375- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-76cx-3v2m-9952
8.8
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No...
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06)
Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected.
Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in.
Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible:
-
Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time)
-
ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file
-
User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender.
Example of old configuration snippet:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" />
... other params here ...
</appender>
The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" />
<param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ...
</appender>
- Record
GHSA-76cx-3v2m-9952- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-89
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.8
Apache Log4cxx: SQL injection when using ODBC appender
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06)
Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected.
Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in.
Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible:
-
Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time)
-
ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file
-
User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender.
Example of old configuration snippet:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" />
... other params here ...
</appender>
The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters:
<appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender">
<param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" />
<param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ...
</appender>
- Record
CVE-2023-31038- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-89
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2023-31038
8.8
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06) Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected. Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in. Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible: 1. Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time) 2. ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file 3. User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender. Example of old configuration snippet: <appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender"> <param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" /> ... other params here ... </appender> The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters: <appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender"> <param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" /> <param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ... </appender>
- Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2023-31038- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2023-31038
8.8
SQL injection in Log4cxx when using the ODBC appender to send log messages to a database. No fields sent to the database were properly escaped for SQL injection. This has been the case since at least version 0.9.0(released 2003-08-06) Note that Log4cxx is a C++ framework, so only C++ applications are affected. Before version 1.1.0, the ODBC appender was automatically part of Log4cxx if the library was found when compiling the library. As of version 1.1.0, this must be both explicitly enabled in order to be compiled in. Three preconditions must be met for this vulnerability to be possible: 1. Log4cxx compiled with ODBC support(before version 1.1.0, this was auto-detected at compile time) 2. ODBCAppender enabled for logging messages to, generally done via a config file 3. User input is logged at some point. If your application does not have user input, it is unlikely to be affected. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.1.0 which properly binds the parameters to the SQL statement, or migrate to the new DBAppender class which supports an ODBC connection in addition to other databases. Note that this fix does require a configuration file update, as the old configuration files will not configure properly. An example is shown below, and more information may be found in the Log4cxx documentation on the ODBCAppender. Example of old configuration snippet: <appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender"> <param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES ('%m')" /> ... other params here ... </appender> The migrated configuration snippet with new ColumnMapping parameters: <appender name="SqlODBCAppender" class="ODBCAppender"> <param name="sql" value="INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)" /> <param name="ColumnMapping" value="message"/> ... other params here ... </appender>
- Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2023-31038- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVopenSUSE-SU-2024:13545-1 No score
liblog4cxx-devel-1.1.0-1.1 on GA media
These are all security issues fixed in the liblog4cxx-devel-1.1.0-1.1 package on the GA media of openSUSE Tumbleweed.
- Record
openSUSE-SU-2024:13545-1- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
log4cxxDebian:12 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.0.0-11.0.0-1+deb12u11.1.0-11.1.0-1~exp11.2.0-1 Show 5 moreShow less1.3.0-11.3.1-11.4.0-11.4.0-1.11.5.0-1 |
None known |
log4cxxDebian:13 |
before 1.1.0-1 | 1.1.0-1 |
log4cxxDebian:14 |
before 1.1.0-1 | 1.1.0-1 |
log4cxxUbuntu:14.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.10.0-1.2ubuntu3 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:16.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.10.0-9ubuntu10.10.0-9ubuntu20.10.0-10ubuntu1 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:18.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.10.0-12ubuntu10.10.0-13ubuntu10.10.0-13ubuntu2 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:20.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.10.0-15ubuntu10.10.0-15ubuntu2 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:22.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 0.11.0-2ubuntu10.11.0-3ubuntu20.12.1-4 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:24.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.1.0-11.1.0-1build11.1.0-1build21.1.0-1build3 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:25.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.3.1-11.4.0-1 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:26.10 |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.5.0-1 |
None known |
log4cxxUbuntu:26.04:LTS |
All versions, plus listed versions 1.4.0-11.5.0-1 |
None known |
log4cxxopenSUSE:Tumbleweed |
before 1.1.0-1.1 | 1.1.0-1.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-31038 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Apache Log4cxx, published May 8, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.60%, the 75th percentile. Fixed in log4cxx 1.1.0-1.
References
lists.apache.org/thread/vgjlpdf353vv91gryspwxrzj6p0fbjd9
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-31038
github.com/advisories/GHSA-76cx-3v2m-9952
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/31xxx/CVE-2023-31038.json
security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2023-31038
ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-31038
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-31038
suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2023-31038