On December 9, 2021, a security flaw was found That affected Salesforce Development world.
The flaw is known as Log4J, specifically impacted Apache Web Server and all the Salesforce products That make use of Apache to operate.
In this article today, we are going to learn more about the Log4J security vulnerability. We will also be covering, Is Salesforce impacted by Log4J security loophole.
Is Salesforce impacted by Log4J ?
Salesforce is impacted by Log4J security flaw. In Salesforce, most commonly used Data Loader Tool is affected by Log4J, a Salesforce Tool used import, export, update, and manage data in Salesforce.
Salesforce Data Loader got affected by Log4J because it utilizes Apache’s Log4J function of the Web Server. Due to this relation, the Data Loader is affected by recent security loophole in Apache Log4Shell, which provides Java based logging utility to users.
Salesforce has officially released an update for Data Loader. However, users who had previously downloaded and installed a previous version of Data Loader are advised to refresh their Data Loader.
Having That clarified, if you are still running Data Loader previous versions (53.0.1 and below), you need to update it immediately.
For improved performance, users with safe organizations should also update their Data Loader with its new version.
If your system is not properly updated, attackers can perform Remote Code Execution attacks on affected systems. In this attack, affecting a system from remote locations is possible with proper attack vectors.
Log4J vulnerability is easily exploitable by Hackers. If not properly protected, companies That are using Salesforce Data Loader may face excessive data loss during coming months.
On vulnerability databases like CVSS, the flaw has been flagged up to 8 scale, meaning That damage will be higher if the vulnerability is exploited correctly by attackers.
Similarly, some vulnerability databases also reported Apache’s Log4J vulnerability as High, giving it 10 out of 10 score when it comes to measuring flaws’ severity.
According to Pymnts, more than 900K systems were attacked or affected by Apache’s Log4J vulnerability. And, all of this happened during a span of 4 days.
One of the reasons why so many attacks were noticed since the flaw has been declared is the widely usage of Log4J software.
If attackers use 0-Day attack payloads, they can even download and run arbitrary software on affected systems. This can even damage Data Loader functionality or may cause a complete overtake of the affected Server.
Attackers can also gain access to performing Cryptocurrency Mining if exploit Apache’s Log4J vulnerability successfully.
Like Mining Cryptocurrencies, attackers can also install and run their favourite scripts on affected systems, carrying out different activities, such as attacking other systems with DDoS.
According to statistics, in coming days or months, millions of systems are going to be affected by the Log4J security vulnerability, if the affected systems’ owners didn’t take considerations into account.
Salesforce Products affected by Log4J Vulnerability
The following Salesforce’s products are affected by Log4J security vulnerability.
Sales Cloud
Service Cloud
Community Cloud
B2C Commerce Cloud
Analytics Cloud
Force.com
Datorama
Pardot
Data.com
Tableau (Online)
Final Thoughts
Is Salesforce impacted by Log4J ?
If you are using Salesforce, chances are you are most likely be using Data Loader in daily routines. You should immediately advise all users to update their Data Loader installations.
As Salesforce is affected by Log4J vulnerability, different users with rights and access controls and licenses can even spread or harm your organisation’s data.
For those who are seeking to fix Log4J flaw, installing and setting up Data Loader newer version will work, probably a version at 53.0.2.
If you want to know more about Salesforce products and services That are affected by vulnerability, see This List of Salesforce Official Help Forum.