CVE-2019-12397 in Ranger
Summary
by MITRE
Policy import functionality in Apache Ranger 0.7.0 to 1.2.0 is vulnerable to a cross-site scripting issue. Upgrade to 2.0.0 or later version of Apache Ranger with the fix.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-12397 affects Apache Ranger versions 0.7.0 through 1.2.0, specifically targeting the policy import functionality that enables users to import security policies from external sources. This cross-site scripting vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the web-based administrative interface of Apache Ranger, which is widely deployed for centralized security policy management across Hadoop ecosystems. The flaw resides in how the system processes and validates user-supplied data during the policy import process, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary web scripts into the application's response.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output encoding within the policy import module. When administrators or users attempt to import security policies through the web interface, the application fails to properly sanitize user-provided data before rendering it in the browser context. This allows attackers to craft malicious policy files containing script tags or other XSS payloads that execute within the context of authenticated users' browsers. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as Cross-site Scripting, specifically manifesting as stored XSS where the malicious payload persists in the application's data store and executes whenever the affected page is loaded.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to hijack user sessions, steal sensitive authentication tokens, and potentially escalate privileges within the Ranger administrative interface. An attacker could exploit this weakness to impersonate legitimate users with elevated permissions, access restricted policy configurations, or manipulate security rules to gain unauthorized access to protected Hadoop resources. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations using Apache Ranger for centralized access control management, where compromised administrative sessions could lead to complete compromise of the data protection infrastructure. According to ATT&CK framework category TA0001 Initial Access, this vulnerability could be exploited through malicious policy files delivered via social engineering or compromised external systems.
Organizations should immediately upgrade to Apache Ranger version 2.0.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability, as the fix addresses the core input validation issues and implements proper output encoding mechanisms. Additionally, administrators should implement network segmentation and access controls around the Ranger administrative interface, monitor for suspicious policy import activities, and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block potential XSS payloads. The mitigation strategy should also include regular security assessments of the Ranger configuration and user access controls to prevent unauthorized policy modifications. Organizations relying on older versions should consider implementing temporary compensating controls such as disabling policy import functionality until the upgrade can be completed, while maintaining strict monitoring of administrative activities and user access patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts.