CVE-2024-5979 in h2o-3
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2024
In h2oai/h2o-3 version 3.46.0, the `run_tool` command in the `rapids` component allows the `main` function of any class under the `water.tools` namespace to be called. One such class, `MojoConvertTool`, crashes the server when invoked with an invalid argument, causing a denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/15/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5979 resides within the h2oai/h2o-3 machine learning platform version 3.46.0, specifically within the rapids component's `run_tool` functionality. This flaw represents a critical security oversight that enables unauthorized remote code execution through improper input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes commands through the `run_tool` interface, which indiscriminately permits invocation of any class method within the `water.tools` namespace without adequate sanitization or access controls. The affected `MojoConvertTool` class demonstrates this weakness by failing catastrophically when provided with malformed or invalid arguments, leading to complete server termination and subsequent denial of service conditions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate parameter validation and insufficient input sanitization within the command execution pipeline. When the `run_tool` function processes user-supplied parameters, it directly forwards these inputs to the target class methods without proper validation checks or error handling mechanisms. This design flaw creates an attack surface where malicious actors can craft specific inputs that trigger unexpected behavior in the underlying code. The `MojoConvertTool` class specifically suffers from a lack of proper argument validation, causing it to crash the entire server process when encountering invalid parameters, thereby creating a denial of service condition that can be exploited remotely.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to organizations relying on h2o-3 platforms for machine learning operations and data processing tasks. The denial of service impact can result in complete system unavailability, disrupting critical data analysis workflows and potentially causing financial losses. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that attackers can trigger the service disruption without requiring physical access to the system, making it particularly dangerous in cloud environments or multi-tenant deployments. The fact that this affects the core `water.tools` namespace suggests that multiple tools within the platform may share similar vulnerabilities, potentially creating a broader attack surface than initially apparent.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, "Improper Input Validation," and CWE-400, "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption," as it allows for both malformed input processing and resource exhaustion through server crashes. From the MITRE ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1499.004, "Endpoint Denial of Service," and potentially T1059.001, "Command and Scripting Interpreter," if exploitation extends beyond simple denial of service. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation patches, access controls, and network segmentation to prevent unauthorized exploitation. The recommended approach involves restricting the `run_tool` functionality to authenticated users only, implementing comprehensive parameter validation, and adding proper error handling mechanisms to prevent crash conditions. Additionally, system monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual process termination patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.