CVE-2017-9803: Solr core Apache Solr Kerberos Delegation Token Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f553-j2gv-g5r9
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-287
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-9803 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) apache solr kerberos delegation token vulnerability (CWE-287: Improper Authentication) affecting Solr core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache solr kerberos delegation token functionality flaws. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 6.6.1.

CVE-2017-9803 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-9803
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f553-j2gv-g5r9
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-287: Improper Authentication
Affected Product Solr core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

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

How to Fix CVE-2017-9803

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Solr core 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.solr:solr-core fixed: 6.6.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.solr</groupId>
    <artifactId>solr-core</artifactId>
    <version>6.6.1</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.solr

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2017-9803, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Solr core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 6.6.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.solr 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-287: Improper Authentication, where when an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct. In Solr core, 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

Apache Solr's Kerberos plugin can be configured to use delegation tokens, which allows an application to reuse the authentication of an end-user or another application. There are two issues with this functionality (when using SecurityAwareZkACLProvider type of ACL provider e.g. SaslZkACLProvider). Firstly, access to the security configuration can be leaked to users other than the solr super user. Secondly, malicious users can exploit this leaked configuration for privilege escalation to further expose/modify private data and/or disrupt operations in the Solr cluster. The vulnerability is fixed from Apache Solr 6.6.1 onwards.

CVE-2017-9803 Affected Solr core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
6.6.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.solr:solr-core
maven/org.apache.solr/solr-core
Maven
≥ 6.2.0
< 6.6.1
6.6.1

References

NVD — CVE-2017-9803 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9803
issues.apache.org/jira/browse/solr-11... WEB
https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SOLR-11184
lists.apache.org/thread/f4rbt657n9x4... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/f4rbt657n9x4kb74k1txhcojof5dzol5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-9803?
CVE-2017-9803 is a security vulnerability in Solr core involving Apache Solr Kerberos delegation token functionality flaws under CWE-287: Improper Authentication.
Which Solr core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 6.6.1 across affected packages: org.apache.solr:solr-core.
What version fixes CVE-2017-9803?
Upgrading to 6.6.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is solr-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.solr:solr-core is affected in releases prior to 6.6.1. Upgrade your dependency to 6.6.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-9803?
CVE-2017-9803 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-9803?
CVE-2017-9803 is classified under CWE-287: Improper Authentication (When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2017-9803?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.solr'. 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
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-f553-j2gv-g5r9",
  "modified" : "2022-11-08T14:57:58Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T01:23:18Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-9803" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Solr Kerberos delegation token functionality flaws",
  "details" : "Apache Solr's Kerberos plugin can be configured to use delegation tokens, which allows an application to reuse the authentication of an end-user or another application. There are two issues with this functionality (when using SecurityAwareZkACLProvider type of ACL provider e.g. SaslZkACLProvider). Firstly, access to the security configuration can be leaked to users other than the solr super user. Secondly, malicious users can exploit this leaked configuration for privilege escalation to further expose/modify private data and/or disrupt operations in the Solr cluster. The vulnerability is fixed from Apache Solr 6.6.1 onwards.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.solr:solr-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "6.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.6.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9803"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/SOLR-11184"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/f4rbt657n9x4kb74k1txhcojof5dzol5"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-287" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-08T14:57:58Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-09-18T21:29:00Z"
  }
}