CVE-2018-1296 in Hadoop
Summary
by MITRE
In Apache Hadoop 3.0.0-alpha1 to 3.0.0, 2.9.0, 2.8.0 to 2.8.3, and 2.5.0 to 2.7.5, HDFS exposes extended attribute key/value pairs during listXAttrs, verifying only path-level search access to the directory rather than path-level read permission to the referent.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-1296 affects Apache Hadoop distributed filesystem implementations across multiple versions including 3.0.0-alpha1 through 3.0.0, 2.9.0, 2.8.0 through 2.8.3, and 2.5.0 through 2.7.5. This security flaw resides within the HDFS (Hadoop Distributed File System) component that governs extended attributes handling during listXAttrs operations. The core issue stems from improper access control verification mechanisms that fail to enforce appropriate permission checks when exposing extended attribute key/value pairs to users.
The technical flaw manifests in the validation process where HDFS performs path-level search access verification instead of implementing proper path-level read permission checks for the referent files or directories. This discrepancy creates a privilege escalation vector where authenticated users can enumerate extended attributes of files they do not have read access to, effectively bypassing intended access controls. The vulnerability specifically impacts the listXAttrs functionality which is designed to retrieve extended attributes associated with filesystem objects, but fails to properly validate whether the requesting user possesses adequate read permissions for the underlying data.
Operationally this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations utilizing Apache Hadoop deployments, as it enables unauthorized information disclosure through extended attribute enumeration. Attackers can exploit this weakness to discover sensitive metadata about files and directories without possessing the necessary read permissions, potentially revealing system structure, file types, or other confidential information that should remain restricted. The impact extends beyond simple information disclosure as it undermines the fundamental access control model of Hadoop filesystems, creating potential pathways for further exploitation and lateral movement within the system.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 which addresses improper access control in software systems, specifically targeting inadequate permission validation mechanisms. From an ATT&CK perspective, this weakness maps to privilege escalation techniques and information gathering phases where adversaries seek to understand system configurations and access patterns. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of Apache Hadoop, reviewing and tightening access control policies, and monitoring for unauthorized extended attribute enumeration attempts. Additionally, security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of Hadoop configurations to ensure proper access control enforcement and consider implementing additional logging mechanisms to detect potential exploitation attempts.