CVE-2020-13946: Cassandra all Man-in-the-middle Attack Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-24ww-mc5x-xc43
CVSS 5.9
CWE-668
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-13946 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) man-in-the-middle attack vulnerability (CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere) affecting Cassandra all libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves man-in-the-middle attack in apache cassandra. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2.

CVE-2020-13946 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-13946
GHSA Identifier GHSA-24ww-mc5x-xc43
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere
Affected Product Cassandra all
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.9

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2020-13946

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Cassandra all dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all fixed: 2.1.12
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cassandra</groupId>
    <artifactId>cassandra-all</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.12</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all fixed: 2.2.18
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cassandra</groupId>
    <artifactId>cassandra-all</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.18</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all fixed: 3.0.22
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cassandra</groupId>
    <artifactId>cassandra-all</artifactId>
    <version>3.0.22</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all fixed: 3.11.8
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cassandra</groupId>
    <artifactId>cassandra-all</artifactId>
    <version>3.11.8</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all fixed: 4.0-beta2
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cassandra</groupId>
    <artifactId>cassandra-all</artifactId>
    <version>4.0-beta2</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cassandra

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-13946, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cassandra

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Cassandra all in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.12), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cassandra command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere, where the product exposes a resource to the wrong control sphere, providing unintended actors with inappropriate access to the resource. In Cassandra all, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In Apache Cassandra, all versions prior to 2.1.22, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8 and 4.0-beta2, it is possible for a local attacker without access to the Apache Cassandra process or configuration files to manipulate the RMI registry to perform a man-in-the-middle attack and capture user names and passwords used to access the JMX interface. The attacker can then use these credentials to access the JMX interface and perform unauthorised operations. Users should also be aware of CVE-2019-2684, a JRE vulnerability that enables this issue to be exploited remotely.

CVE-2020-13946 Affected Cassandra all Versions

5 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.122.2.183.0.223.11.84.0-beta2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all
Maven
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.12
2.1.12
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all
Maven
≥ 2.2.0
< 2.2.18
2.2.18
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all
Maven
≥ 3.0.0
< 3.0.22
3.0.22
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all
Maven
≥ 3.11.0
< 3.11.8
3.11.8
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all
Maven
≥ 4.0-beta1
< 4.0-beta2
All 1 versions
4.0-beta1
4.0-beta2

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-13946?
CVE-2020-13946 is a security vulnerability in Cassandra all involving Man-in-the-middle attack in Apache Cassandra under CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere.
Which Cassandra all versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2 across affected packages: org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all.
What version fixes CVE-2020-13946?
Upgrading to 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is cassandra-all affected?
Yes, org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all is affected in releases prior to 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-13946?
CVE-2020-13946 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-13946?
CVE-2020-13946 is classified under CWE-668: Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere (The product exposes a resource to the wrong control sphere, providing unintended actors with inappropriate access to the resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2020-13946?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cassandra'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-24ww-mc5x-xc43",
  "modified" : "2021-05-05T19:22:12Z",
  "published" : "2021-05-07T15:54:46Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-13946" ],
  "summary" : "Man-in-the-middle attack in Apache Cassandra",
  "details" : "In Apache Cassandra, all versions prior to 2.1.22, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8 and 4.0-beta2, it is possible for a local attacker without access to the Apache Cassandra process or configuration files to manipulate the RMI registry to perform a man-in-the-middle attack and capture user names and passwords used to access the JMX interface. The attacker can then use these credentials to access the JMX interface and perform unauthorised operations. Users should also be aware of CVE-2019-2684, a JRE vulnerability that enables this issue to be exploited remotely.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.18"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.0.22"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "3.11.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.11.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.0-beta1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.0-beta2"
      } ]
    } ],
    "versions" : [ "4.0-beta1" ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13946"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r1fd117082b992e7d43c1286e966c285f98aa362e685695d999ff42f7@%3Cuser.cassandra.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r718e01f61b35409a4f7a3ccbc1cb5136a1558a9f9c2cb8d4ca9be1ce@%3Cuser.cassandra.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rab8d90d28f944d84e4d7852f355a25c89451ae02c2decc4d355a9cfc@%3Cuser.cassandra.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rcd7544b24d8fc32b7950ec4c117052410b661babaa857fb1fc641152%40%3Cuser.cassandra.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210521-0005"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-668" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-05-05T19:22:12Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-09-01T21:15:00Z"
  }
}