CVE-2018-20091 in Data Science Workbench
Summary
by MITRE
An SQL injection vulnerability was found in Cloudera Data Science Workbench (CDSW) 1.4.0 through 1.4.2. This would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary queries against CDSW's internal database. The database contains user contact information, encrypted CDSW passwords (in the case of local authentication), API keys, and stored Kerberos keytabs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2020
The vulnerability CVE-2018-20091 represents a critical SQL injection flaw within Cloudera Data Science Workbench version 1.4.0 through 1.4.2, exposing a fundamental weakness in the platform's database access controls. This issue arises from inadequate input validation mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before incorporating it into database queries, creating an exploitable pathway for authenticated attackers to execute malicious SQL commands against the internal database system. The vulnerability specifically targets the application's interaction with its backend database, which stores sensitive information including user contact details, authentication credentials, and security tokens that are essential for maintaining system integrity and user privacy.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability allows any authenticated user to bypass normal database access controls and execute arbitrary SQL queries against the CDSW internal database. This represents a severe privilege escalation scenario where legitimate users can leverage their existing authentication to gain unauthorized access to database contents that should remain protected. The database contains highly sensitive information including encrypted passwords stored in the local authentication system, API keys that could provide access to external services, and Kerberos keytabs that contain cryptographic credentials essential for distributed authentication. The nature of SQL injection in this context means that attackers can potentially extract, modify, or delete database records, fundamentally compromising the confidentiality and integrity of the stored information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as the compromised database contains authentication credentials that could enable attackers to escalate privileges or impersonate other users within the system. The presence of encrypted passwords in the database means that even if the encryption is strong, an attacker with database access could potentially reverse-engineer or brute-force these credentials to gain deeper system access. Additionally, the stored API keys and Kerberos keytabs represent critical security assets that, if compromised, could provide attackers with access to external services and enterprise authentication systems, potentially enabling lateral movement within the network infrastructure. This vulnerability effectively undermines the security model of the platform by allowing authenticated users to access information that should be restricted to authorized administrators.
Organizations utilizing Cloudera Data Science Workbench versions 1.4.0 through 1.4.2 should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of the software, implementing additional database access controls, and reviewing authentication mechanisms to limit the scope of database access for authenticated users. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which categorizes SQL injection flaws as critical security weaknesses, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation. Security teams should also consider implementing database activity monitoring to detect anomalous query patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while ensuring that database connections use least privilege principles to minimize potential damage from successful attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in maintaining secure database interactions within enterprise applications.