CVE-2025-46392 identifies an Uncontrolled Resource Consumption vulnerability (CWE-400) in Apache Commons Configuration version 1.x, a widely used Java library for managing configuration data. The vulnerability arises from the library's handling of configuration files or usage patterns that are untrusted or unexpected, leading to excessive consumption of system resources such as CPU, memory, or file handles. This can occur when attackers supply crafted configuration data or manipulate usage patterns to trigger resource exhaustion. The Apache Commons Configuration team has explicitly stated that these issues will not be fixed in the 1.x branch, recommending users who load untrusted configurations or allow attacker-controlled usage to upgrade to the 2.x line. The 2.x version addresses these vulnerabilities but is not a drop-in replacement due to changes in Maven groupId and Java package namespaces, although side-by-side deployment is possible to facilitate gradual migration. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), reflecting a network attack vector with low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and impacting availability without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No known exploits are reported in the wild as of the publication date. This vulnerability primarily threatens applications that parse or load configuration data from untrusted sources or allow attackers to influence configuration usage patterns, potentially causing denial of service through resource exhaustion.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for enterprises relying on Apache Commons Configuration 1.x in critical Java-based applications that process external or user-supplied configuration data. Resource exhaustion can lead to denial of service conditions, causing application downtime, degraded performance, or even system crashes. This can disrupt business operations, impact service availability, and potentially lead to financial losses or reputational damage. Sectors such as finance, telecommunications, healthcare, and government agencies in Europe, which often use Java-based middleware and configuration management libraries, may be particularly vulnerable if they have not migrated to the 2.x version or do not restrict configuration sources to trusted inputs. The medium severity rating indicates that while exploitation requires some privileges, the absence of user interaction and the network attack vector make remote exploitation feasible in certain scenarios. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact reduces the risk of data breaches but does not diminish the operational risks associated with availability loss.

European organizations should undertake a multi-step mitigation approach: 1) Identify all applications and services using Apache Commons Configuration 1.x, particularly those loading configurations from untrusted or external sources. 2) Plan and execute an upgrade to Apache Commons Configuration 2.x, leveraging the ability to run both versions side-by-side to enable gradual migration and minimize disruption. 3) Implement strict input validation and sanitization for configuration data, ensuring only trusted and verified configurations are loaded. 4) Employ resource usage monitoring and limits (e.g., JVM heap size, CPU quotas, file descriptor limits) to detect and contain abnormal resource consumption patterns. 5) Restrict privileges of processes loading configurations to minimize the impact of potential exploitation. 6) Where immediate upgrade is not feasible, consider isolating vulnerable components in sandboxed environments or containers to limit resource exhaustion impact. 7) Maintain up-to-date inventory and patch management processes to track and remediate vulnerable dependencies promptly.