CVE-2021-40331 in Ranger Hive Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/05/2023
An Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource vulnerability was found in the Apache Ranger Hive Plugin. Any user with SELECT privilege on a database can alter the ownership of the table in Hive when Apache Ranger Hive Plugin is enabled This issue affects Apache Ranger Hive Plugin: from 2.0.0 through 2.3.0. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.4.0 or later.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2024
The CVE-2021-40331 vulnerability represents a critical permission assignment flaw within the Apache Ranger Hive Plugin ecosystem, fundamentally undermining the security model of data access controls in hive environments. This vulnerability exists in versions ranging from 2.0.0 through 2.3.0 of the plugin, creating a dangerous misconfiguration where users with minimal database SELECT privileges can escalate their access rights to manipulate table ownership within the hive metastore. The flaw directly violates the principle of least privilege by allowing unauthorized users to perform operations that should be restricted to administrators or users with specific elevated permissions. This misconfiguration creates a pathway for privilege escalation attacks where malicious actors can manipulate data ownership structures to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or disrupt normal data operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper validation of user permissions within the Ranger Hive Plugin's authorization framework. When the plugin is enabled, it fails to properly enforce access controls for table ownership modification operations, allowing users who possess only SELECT privileges to execute ALTER operations that change table ownership. This occurs because the permission checking mechanism does not adequately distinguish between read-only operations and modification operations, particularly those related to metadata management. The flaw is categorized under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, which specifically addresses situations where critical system resources receive permissions that are too permissive for the operations being performed. This misclassification of permissions creates a direct attack surface where unauthorized users can manipulate the underlying data ownership model to gain persistent access to resources they should not be able to modify.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, creating potential for significant data integrity compromise and unauthorized access within hive environments. Attackers could use this vulnerability to reassign table ownership to themselves or trusted malicious users, effectively bypassing the intended access control mechanisms of the hive metastore. This capability enables persistent access to sensitive data, allows for data manipulation without proper authorization, and can facilitate data exfiltration or corruption. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise environments where hive is used for storing sensitive business data, as it can enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical datasets. The attack vector is relatively straightforward since users only need basic SELECT privileges to exploit this flaw, making it accessible to a broader range of threat actors who may not have elevated administrative access.
Organizations utilizing Apache Ranger Hive Plugin versions 2.0.0 through 2.3.0 face significant risk from this vulnerability and must implement immediate remediation measures. The recommended solution involves upgrading to version 2.4.0 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the permission assignment flaw. Security administrators should also conduct comprehensive audits of existing hive environments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and ensure that proper access controls are implemented at multiple levels. Additionally, organizations should implement monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized ownership changes in hive tables, as these modifications may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004: Valid Accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate user accounts with insufficient privileges to perform unauthorized operations, and T1484.001: Group Policy Modification, as the vulnerability allows for unauthorized changes to data ownership that effectively modifies access control policies. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as privilege monitoring, regular access reviews, and network segmentation to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities in their environments.