CVE-2020-1929 in Beam MongoDB Connector
Summary
by MITRE
The Apache Beam MongoDB connector in versions 2.10.0 to 2.16.0 has an option to disable SSL trust verification. However this configuration is not respected and the certificate verification disables trust verification in every case. This exclusion also gets registered globally which disables trust checking for any code running in the same JVM.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2020
The vulnerability described in CVE-2020-1929 affects the Apache Beam MongoDB connector component within a specific version range from 2.10.0 to 2.16.0. This issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines the fundamental trust mechanisms designed to protect data transmission between Apache Beam applications and MongoDB databases. The connector's implementation contains a logical error in its SSL certificate validation process, where the intended configuration option to disable SSL trust verification fails to function correctly, resulting in mandatory certificate validation regardless of user settings.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure in configuration handling within the MongoDB connector's SSL implementation. When administrators or developers attempt to disable SSL trust verification through specific configuration parameters, the system ignores these settings and instead enforces certificate validation universally. This behavior stems from a code path that does not properly respect the user-defined trust verification flags, creating an unexpected and insecure default state. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond the immediate connector scope as the trust verification exclusion becomes globally registered within the same Java Virtual Machine process, affecting all other components and libraries operating within that JVM environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial and far-reaching, particularly in enterprise environments where multiple services may operate within the same JVM instance. Security administrators who rely on SSL certificate validation to protect data in transit face a false sense of security, as the system automatically bypasses certificate verification without proper user consent. This creates an attack surface where man-in-the-middle attacks become significantly more feasible, potentially allowing adversaries to intercept and manipulate data flowing between Apache Beam applications and MongoDB databases. The global nature of the trust verification bypass means that even applications not directly using the vulnerable connector may become vulnerable to certificate validation bypass attacks initiated through any component within the same JVM process.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-310, focusing on cryptographic weaknesses. From an ATT&CK perspective, this issue maps to T1566.001, representing credential access through network sniffing, and T1071.004, covering application layer protocol usage for data exfiltration. Organizations using Apache Beam with MongoDB connectors in production environments should immediately upgrade to versions that address this vulnerability, as the flaw affects the core security model of the system. The recommended mitigation involves not only updating the affected connector versions but also implementing additional network-level security controls and monitoring for unauthorized certificate validation bypass attempts.