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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

Log4j

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Log4j is a Java runtime logging framework that allows developers to include in their source code and the ability to generate logging output messages. The verbosity and output of the log can be controlled by configuration at runtime. Please note that Log4j 2 denotes the second version of Log4j.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v24.6
Decision Date:	06/18/2024 at 16:24:53 UTC
Aliases:	Log4j 2
Introduced By:	Extended Tool List (ETL)
Vendor Name:	Apache Software Foundation (ASF)

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
1.2.14	09/18/2006
1.2.15	08/24/2007
1.2.16	04/06/2010
1.2.17	05/28/2012
1.21.x
2.0	08/16/2014
2.1	10/24/2014
2.2	02/22/2015
2.3	05/09/2015
2.4	09/20/2015
2.7	10/02/2016
2.9.x	09/18/2017
2.10.x	11/28/2017
2.11.x	03/30/2018
2.12.x	08/09/2019
2.13.x	02/25/2020
2.14.x	11/06/2020
2.15.x	12/09/2021
2.16.x	12/13/2021
2.17.x	12/17/2021
2.18.x	06/28/2022
2.19.x	09/13/2022
2.20.x	02/17/2023
2.21.x	10/12/2023
2.22.x	11/17/2023
2.23.x	02/17/2024

Current Decision Matrix (06/05/2024)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: This technology or standard can be used only if a POA&M review is conducted and signed by the Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) as designated by the Authorizing Official (AO) or designee and based upon a recommendation from the POA&M Compliance Enforcement, has been granted to the project team or organization that wishes to use the technology.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

Release/Version Information:

VA decisions for specific versions may include a ‘.x’ wildcard, which denotes a decision that pertains to a range of multiple versions.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 7.x would cover any version of 7.(Anything) - 7.(Anything). However, a 7.4.x decision would cover any version of 7.4.(Anything), but would not cover any version of 7.5.x or 7.6.x on the TRM.

VA decisions for specific versions may include ‘+’ symbols; which denotes that the decision for the version specified also includes versions greater than what is specified but is not to exceed or affect previous decimal places.

For example, a technology approved with a decision for 12.6.4+ would cover any version that is greater than 12.6.4, but would not exceed the .6 decimal ie: 12.6.401 is ok, 12.6.5 is ok, 12.6.9 is ok, however 12.7.0 or 13.0 is not.

<Past

CY2021

CY2022

CY2023

Future>

Release

1.2.14

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

1.2.15

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

1.2.16

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

1.2.17

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

1.21.x

Unapproved

2.0

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.1

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.2

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.3

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.4

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.7

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.9.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.10.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.11.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.12.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.13.x

Divest
[4, 5, 6]

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.14.x

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 5, 6]

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.15.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.16.x

Unapproved

Prohibited

Unapproved

2.17.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 5, 7, 8]

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 5, 8, 9]

Divest
[4, 5, 8, 9]

Divest
[3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Divest
[3, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

2.18.x

Unapproved

2.19.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[4, 5, 8, 9]

Divest
[3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Divest
[3, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

2.20.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Divest
[3, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

2.21.x

Unapproved

Approved w/Constraints
[3, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]

2.22.x

Unapproved

2.23.x

Unapproved

Decision Constraints


[1]	This technology may not be used with Apache versions before 3.0.6 due to Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)-2012-5616.

[2]	As of April 23, 2015, per the Deputy CIO of Architecture, Strategy and Design (ASD), all technologies in use by the VA require an assessment by the VA Section 508 office. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 is a federal law that sets the guidelines for technology accessibility. A VA Section 508 assessment of this technology has not been completed at the time of publication. Therefore, as of April 23, 2015 only users of this technology who have deployed the technology to the production environment, or have project design and implementation plans approved, may continue to operate this technology. In the case of a project that has implemented, or been approved for a specific site or number of users, and that project needs to expand operations to other sites or to an increased user base, it may do so as long as the project stays on the existing version of the technology that was approved or implemented as of April 22, 2015. Use of this technology in all other cases is prohibited.

[3]	Technology must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security policies and guidelines in order to mitigate known and future security vulnerabilities.

[4]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Office (ISO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[5]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[6]	This technology must use the latest version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - Oracle. This technology must use the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Developers need to stay informed about the Apache Log4J development activities to ensure updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, developers need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Apache community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities. All versions of Apache Log4j prior to 2.8.2 must be upgraded to 2.11.1 as soon as possible and version 2.11.1 should be the only approved version due to the vulnerability identified in CVE-2017-5645. When using Apache Log4J to process, store, and transmit VA sensitive information, it should be installed on specifically FIPS-compliant servers configured to use FIPS-compliant algorithms for encryption. If it is not technically possible to employ FIPS 140-2 encryption, then Apache Log4J should not be used with VA sensitive data.

[7]	This technology must use the latest version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - Oracle. This technology must use the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Developers need to stay informed about the Apache Log4J development activities to ensure updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, developers need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Apache community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities. Administrators must ensure that they check vulnerability reporting sites and remediate any published vulnerabilities for Apache Log4J as soon as possible. Apache Log4J will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information.

[8]	This technology has received one or more VA security bulletins that provide specific guidance on vulnerability patching and mitigation. It is the responsibility of VA system owners to ensure that the appropriate mitigations are taken to address all known and future discovered vulnerabilities with this product. See the Reference tab for more information on security bulletins related to this product.

[9]	This technology must use the latest version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - Oracle. This technology must use the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle. Users must not utilize, Apache Log4j2 2.0-beta9 through 2.12.1 and 2.13.0 through 2.15.0 JNDI features used in configuration, log messages, and parameters do not protect against attacker controlled LDAP and other JNDI related endpoints. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Developers need to stay informed about the Apache Log4J development activities to ensure updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, developers need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Apache community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities. Administrators must ensure that they check vulnerability reporting sites and remediate any published vulnerabilities for Apache Log4J as soon as possible. Apache Log4J will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. In accordance with Emergency Directive (ED) 22-02 Mitigate Apache Log4j Vulnerability: When updates are available, agencies must update software using Log4j to the newest version and must not utilize previous versions, which is the most effective and manageable long-term option. Where updating is not possible, the following mitigating measures can be considered as a temporary solution and apply to the entire solution stack. Disable Log4j library. Disabling software using the Log4j library is an effective measure, favoring controlled downtime over adversary-caused issues. This option could cause operational impacts and limit visibility into other issues. Disable JNDI lookups or disable remote codebases. This option, while effective, may involve developer work and could impact functionality. Disconnect affected stacks. Solution stacks not connected to agency networks pose a dramatically lower risk from attack. Consider temporarily disconnecting the stack from agency networks. Isolate the system. Create a “vulnerable network” VLAN and segment the solution stack from the rest of the enterprise network. Deploy a properly configured Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the solution stack. Deploying a WAF is an important, but incomplete, solution. While threat actors will be able to bypass this mitigation, the reduction in alerting will allow an agency SOC to focus on a smaller set of alerts. Apply micropatch. There are several micropatches available. They are not a part of the official update but may limit agency risk.

[10]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with VA Handbook 6500.

[11]	Users should check with their supervisor, Information System Security Officer (ISSO) or local OIT representative for permission to download and use this software. Downloaded software must always be scanned for viruses prior to installation to prevent adware or malware. Freeware may only be downloaded directly from the primary site that the creator of the software has advertised for public download and user or development community engagement. Users should note, any attempt by the installation process to install any additional, unrelated software is not approved and the user should take the proper steps to decline those installations.

[12]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[13]	The Federal Information Processing standards (FIPS) 140-2 certification status of this technology was not able to be verified. This technology will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 or 140-3 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information, where applicable. More information regarding the Cryptographic Module Validation Program (CMVP) can be found on the NIST website.

[14]	This technology must use the latest version of Java Runtime Environment (JRE) - Oracle. This technology must use the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK) - Oracle. Per the Initial Product Review, users must abide by the following constraints: Developers need to stay informed about the Apache Log4J development activities to ensure updates and patches to the software are tested and installed in a timely manner. Additionally, developers need to constantly monitor the various resources within the Apache community to get the most up-to-date information on known vulnerabilities as well as solutions to mitigate or remediate the vulnerabilities. Administrators must ensure that they check vulnerability reporting sites and remediate any published vulnerabilities for Apache Log4J as soon as possible. Apache Log4J will require a 3rd party FIPS 140-2 certified solution for any data containing PHI/PII or VA sensitive information. Users must not utilize, Apache Log4j2 2.0-beta9 through 2.12.1 and 2.13.0 through 2.15.0 JNDI features used in configuration, log messages, and parameters do not protect against attacker controlled LDAP and other JNDI related endpoints. In accordance with Emergency Directive (ED) 22-02 Mitigate Apache Log4j Vulnerability: When updates are available, agencies must update software using Log4j to the newest version and must not utilize previous versions, which is the most effective and manageable long-term option. Where updating is not possible, the following mitigating measures can be considered as a temporary solution and apply to the entire solution stack. Disable Log4j library. Disabling software using the Log4j library is an effective measure, favoring controlled downtime over adversary-caused issues. This option could cause operational impacts and limit visibility into other issues. Disable JNDI lookups or disable remote codebases. This option, while effective, may involve developer work and could impact functionality. Disconnect affected stacks. Solution stacks not connected to agency networks pose a dramatically lower risk from attack. Consider temporarily disconnecting the stack from agency networks. Isolate the system. Create a “vulnerable network” VLAN and segment the solution stack from the rest of the enterprise network. Deploy a properly configured Web Application Firewall (WAF) in front of the solution stack. Deploying a WAF is an important, but incomplete, solution. While threat actors will be able to bypass this mitigation, the reduction in alerting will allow an agency SOC to focus on a smaller set of alerts. Apply micropatch. There are several micropatches available. They are not a part of the official update but may limit agency risk.

[15]	Veterans Affairs (VA) users must ensure VA sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. All instances of deployment using this technology should be reviewed by the local ISSO (Information System Security Officer) to ensure compliance with both VA Handbook 6500 and VA Directive 6500.

Note:

At the time of writing, version 2.23.1 is the most current version, released 03/06/2024.

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Log4j Application Programming Interface (API)	The Log4j 2 application programming interface (API) provides the interface that applications should code to and provides the adapter components required for implementers to create a logging implementation.
Log4j Core	The Log4j 2 implementation provides the functional components of the logging system. Users are free to create their own plugins and include them in the logging configuration.


Application Technology Development Tools	Application Development Tools
Application Technology Development Tools	Development Frameworks

- The information contained on this page is accurate as of the Decision Date (06/18/2024 at 16:24:53 UTC).

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VA Technical Reference Model v 24.7

General Information

Vendor Release Information

Current Decision Matrix (06/05/2024)

Decision Constraints

References

Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Open Source

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

Adoption Risks

Architectural Benefits

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