A java program itself is pretty much not vulnerable to code injection. However, all the native code that supports the app is vulnerable to all the different kinds of code injection - this includes the JVM and all native code parts in the app or its libraries.

Also, there are a few more things to consider:

Anything where java is used as a gateway to other systems is possible:

SQL Injection

XSS (which is in the end nothing more than JavaScript Injection)

If the java program is itself a interpreter/compiler of some kind, it might be possible to inject code into your interpreted language/compiled program (this includes using your program as a java compiler...)

And of course if you can get the java program to write a file to disk that contains code (be it native, java or something else) you might be able to get it executed by other means (which can be a different vulnerability in your app, the os or another app) - this is not direct code injection but quite similar in effect.

Answer from danielschemmel on Stack Overflow
🌐
Bright Security
brightsec.com › blog › code-injection-example
Code Injection Example: A Guide to Discovering and Preventing attacks - Bright Security
March 25, 2025 - Applications are vulnerable to code injection if they use unvalidated input, with web applications being a prime target for attackers to access the database and corrupt the application entirely. Real-life examples of code injection are hard to come by given that the developers prefer to keep things under wraps.
Discussions

Code injection in Java
The most effective way to change classes on load would be at the JVM level since it controls the virtual machine. There exist libraries and such which can do this quite easily. This is the most powerful option. Otherwise, you will need to modify classes as they are stored on the disk or use some kind of alternative class loader. You cannot stop injection at all. You can pretty much write a virtual machine which runs whatever software you choose and modify it in the layer above the virtualized machine. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/java
5
0
March 3, 2017
ELI5: How does code injection work? How can something be ran by user input, can't you just avoid letting user input run code?
It can only happen from user input, and you should never need to run it, but in the some cases, like SQL injection, one error in the dev's code can make an entire site vulnerable. Have a look at this Computerphile video. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/explainlikeimfive
13
0
February 3, 2015
Remote code injection in Log4j

Good write-up with poc and explanation : https://www.lunasec.io/docs/blog/log4j-zero-day/

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/java
72
212
December 10, 2021
How to use ASM to inject code into all methods of classes?
You should checkout bytebuddy http://bytebuddy.net/#/ I think there is easy support for bytecode weaving More on reddit.com
🌐 r/javahelp
1
2
March 12, 2017
🌐
Snyk Learn
learn.snyk.io › home › security education › what is code injection? | tutorial & examples
What is code injection? | Tutorial & examples | Snyk Learn
October 28, 2025 - Having said this, occasionally code injections can still make their way into popular libraries. One pertinent example is the log4shell vulnerability. You can learn more about that here: https://learn.snyk.io/lessons/log4shell/java/
🌐
StackHawk
stackhawk.com › stackhawk, inc. › vulnerabilities and remediation › understanding and preventing command injection in java
Command Injection in Java: Examples and Prevention
January 14, 2026 - Java offers a wide range of libraries and functions that do the same task as system commands. So, you’d still be doing the same thing but not by directly executing system commands. Let’s take an example of the use-case discussed above. You have to check if a user’s directory exists, and if it does, show the files in that directory. The following code has two sections: first, where we use a library, and second, where we’re using direct system commands on the command line.
🌐
SEI CERT
wiki.sei.cmu.edu › confluence › display › java › IDS52-J.+Prevent+code+injection
IDS52-J. Prevent code injection - SEI CERT Oracle Coding Standard for Java - Confluence
dummy\'); var bw = new JavaImporter(java.io.BufferedWriter); var fw = new JavaImporter(java.io.FileWriter); with(fw) with(bw) { bwr = new BufferedWriter(new FileWriter(\"config.cfg\")); bwr.write(\"some text\"); bwr.close(); } // ; The script in this example prints "dummy" and then writes "some text" to a configuration file called config.cfg. An actual exploit can execute arbitrary code. The best defense against code injection vulnerabilities is to prevent the inclusion of executable user input in code.
🌐
Java Code Geeks
javacodegeeks.com › home › core java
Dynamic Java Code Injection - Java Code Geeks
October 19, 2015 - The obvious example is for something like a rules engine. A rules engine would want to offer the ability for users to add or change rules without having to restart the system. You could do this by injecting DSL scripts ...
Find elsewhere
🌐
Semgrep
semgrep.dev › write rules › secure coding › java › command injection in java
Command Injection in Java | Semgrep
September 30, 2025 - By following these recommendations, you can be reasonably sure your code is free of command injection. Learn more about Command Injection vulnerability concepts. The following command runs an optimized set of rules for your project: ... The exec call executes the specified string command in a separate process. This is dangerous if a command string is controlled by user input and could result in command injection. ... // exec example Runtime.getRuntime().exec("ls -la") // Vulnerable String input = "&& cat /etc/passwd"; // value supplied by user input Runtime r = Runtime.getRuntime(); r.exec("some_tool -t param1 param2 " + input); // Vulnerable String input = "cat /etc/passwd"; // value supplied by user input Runtime.getRuntime().exec("bash", "-c", input);
🌐
GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › code-injection-mitigation-example
Code Injection and Mitigation with Example - GeeksforGeeks
September 29, 2022 - Many solutions have been developed ... domain. Some examples include input validation, parameterization, privilege setting for different actions, addition of extra layer of protection and others....
🌐
DigitalOcean
digitalocean.com › community › tutorials › java-dependency-injection-design-pattern-example-tutorial
Java Dependency Injection: Design Pattern Tutorial | DigitalOcean
August 3, 2022 - So dependency injection implementation solved the problem with hard-coded dependency and helped us in making our application flexible and easy to extend. Now let’s see how easily we can test our application class by mocking the injector and service classes. package com.journaldev.java.dependencyinjection.test; import org.junit.After; import org.junit.Before; import org.junit.Test; import com.journaldev.java.dependencyinjection.consumer.Consumer; import com.journaldev.java.dependencyinjection.consumer.MyDIApplication; import com.journaldev.java.dependencyinjection.injector.MessageServiceInjec
🌐
SecureFlag
knowledge-base.secureflag.com › vulnerabilities › code_injection › os_command_injection_java.html
OS Command Injection in Java | SecureFlag Security Knowledge Base
August 5, 2025 - import java.io.File; public static void listFiles(String[] args) throws Exception { File dir = new File(System.getProperty("dir")); if (!dir.isDirectory()) { System.out.println("Not a directory"); } else { for (String file : dir.list()) { System.out.println(file); } } } Mitre - CWE-78: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command OWASP - Command Injection IDS07-J.
🌐
CodeJava
codejava.net › coding › what-is-dependency-injection-with-java-code-example
What is Dependency Injection with Java Code Example
Spring Dependency Injection Example with Java Config · How to implement forgot password feature for Java web application · How to implement remember password (remember me) for Java web application · How to code login and logout with Java Servlet, JSP and MySQL
🌐
Sololearn
sololearn.com › en › Discuss › 1072834 › wanted-codeinjection-in-java
(Wanted) Code-Injection in Java | Sololearn: Learn to code for FREE!
If you Want to implement that: ... Case in Java. so you need to think carefully If you Want to Change that, usually These Things are there for a reason. ... Well, when I have a Textinput and I perform a SQL-thing with it (and it is done bad) I can do a code Injection like: "" OR ...
🌐
GitHub
gist.github.com › superblaubeere27 › cffe74faf3545c760f7d5d198403424c
Code injection with Java Agents · GitHub
Java Agents are used to replace code when the application is running. When you are debugging with IntelliJ, Eclipse etc. and you saving / rebuilding your code, an agent will be loaded to do it. The environment has to be a Java Development Kit (not a Java Runtime Enviroment) to inject the code at runtime.
🌐
Semgrep
semgrep.dev › write rules › secure coding › java › code injection in java
Code Injection in Java | Semgrep
For example, broken authentication that results in access to private data, or otherwise allow the attacker to obtain control of application behavior causing the application to behave in an unexpected manner.
🌐
SonarSource
rules.sonarsource.com › java › tag › injection
Java static code analysis | injection - Rules Sonarsource
Unique rules to find Bugs, Vulnerabilities, Security Hotspots, and Code Smells in your JAVA code
🌐
Semgrep
semgrep.dev › learning guides › application security › vulnerabilities › code injection
Code Injection | Semgrep
One common form of code injection involves dynamic evaluation of input. Developers sometimes reach for this approach when they want to quickly process user-provided data. Even if you didn’t write any code yourself that allows for dynamic ...
🌐
DZone
dzone.com › software design and architecture › security › code injection – examples and prevention
Code Injection – Examples and Prevention
November 21, 2021 - It is relatively easy to insert and use one’s own Javascript code on a website either by finding a cross-site scripting vulnerability or by including code in the address bar. While it is often used in the developer’s console as a debugging mechanism, attackers can utilize Javascript injection ...
🌐
Vogella
vogella.com › tutorials › DependencyInjection › article.html
Using dependency injection in Java - Introduction - Tutorial
Using this analysis, it can create an instance of the class and inject the required objects into the class’s defined dependencies using Java reflection. By avoiding hard dependencies, a Java class is decoupled from specific implementations, making it easier to test. For example, such a class can be tested in isolation using mock objects.
🌐
Mend
mend.io › blog › developer › how to use dependency injection in java: tutorial with examples
How To Use Dependency Injection In Java: Tutorial With Examples
October 31, 2024 - Learn how to use Dependency Injection in Java with this comprehensive tutorial. Discover its benefits, types, and practical examples.