CVE-2016-4572 in CDH
Summary
by MITRE
In Cloudera CDH before 5.7.1, Impala REVOKE ALL ON SERVER commands do not revoke all privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-4572 affects Cloudera CDH versions prior to 5.7.1 and specifically impacts the Impala component's privilege management system. This security flaw represents a critical authorization bypass issue that undermines the integrity of database access controls within the Cloudera ecosystem. The vulnerability manifests when executing REVOKE ALL ON SERVER commands, which are designed to strip all privileges from users or groups across the entire server scope. The improper implementation of these commands creates a persistent security gap where users retain access to resources they should no longer have authorization to access, effectively allowing unauthorized data exposure and potential privilege escalation attacks.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from incomplete privilege revocation logic within Impala's security framework. When administrators issue REVOKE ALL ON SERVER commands, the system fails to properly invalidate all relevant access tokens, session permissions, and underlying authorization structures that were granted to the targeted subjects. This flaw operates at the intersection of database access control and privilege management, creating a scenario where the revocation mechanism only partially executes or fails to update critical authorization tables. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control and CWE-772 which covers missing release of resource after effective lifetime, as the system retains access rights that should have been revoked.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple access control failures to encompass potential data breaches and compliance violations within enterprise environments. Organizations utilizing Cloudera CDH 5.7.0 and earlier versions face significant risk as compromised user accounts or unauthorized access attempts could persist even after administrators believe they have properly revoked all privileges. This vulnerability particularly affects environments where strict data governance policies are enforced, as it undermines the principle of least privilege and creates persistent backdoors for malicious actors. The flaw can be exploited by both internal and external threat actors who gain access to valid user credentials, potentially enabling them to maintain elevated access to sensitive data even after privilege revocation procedures have been implemented.
Security practitioners should immediately implement mitigations that include upgrading to Cloudera CDH 5.7.1 or later versions where this vulnerability has been addressed through proper privilege revocation logic. Organizations must conduct comprehensive audits of their existing Impala privilege configurations to identify and manually revoke any lingering permissions that may have been affected by this vulnerability. Additionally, implementing continuous monitoring of access control changes and privilege modifications can help detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include validating that all REVOKE ALL ON SERVER commands properly terminate existing sessions and invalidate cached access tokens. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and can be leveraged as a persistence mechanism, making it particularly dangerous in environments where threat actors might attempt to maintain long-term access to sensitive data assets.