CVE-2012-4449: Hadoop client Use Of A Broken Or Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-q46v-cj5v-hvg6
CVSS 9.8
CWE-327
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2012-4449 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) use of a broken or vulnerability (CWE-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm) affecting Hadoop client libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm in apache hadoop. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.23.4, 1.0.4, 2.0.2.

CVE-2012-4449 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2012-4449
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q46v-cj5v-hvg6
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm
Affected Product Hadoop client
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
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-2012-4449

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Hadoop client 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.hadoop:hadoop-client fixed: 0.23.4
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.hadoop</groupId>
    <artifactId>hadoop-client</artifactId>
    <version>0.23.4</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client fixed: 1.0.4
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.hadoop</groupId>
    <artifactId>hadoop-client</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.4</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client fixed: 2.0.2
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.hadoop</groupId>
    <artifactId>hadoop-client</artifactId>
    <version>2.0.2</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.hadoop

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2012-4449, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Hadoop client in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.23.4), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.hadoop 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-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm, where the product uses a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm or protocol. In Hadoop client, 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 Hadoop before 0.23.4, 1.x before 1.0.4, and 2.x before 2.0.2 generate token passwords using a 20-bit secret when Kerberos security features are enabled, which makes it easier for context-dependent attackers to crack secret keys via a brute-force attack.

CVE-2012-4449 Affected Hadoop client Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.23.41.0.42.0.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client
Maven
< 0.23.4
0.23.4
org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client
Maven
≥ 1.0.0
< 1.0.4
1.0.4
org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client
Maven
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.0.2
2.0.2

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2012-4449?
CVE-2012-4449 is a security vulnerability in Hadoop client involving Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm in Apache Hadoop under CWE-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm.
Which Hadoop client versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.23.4, 1.0.4, 2.0.2 across affected packages: org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client.
What version fixes CVE-2012-4449?
Upgrading to 0.23.4, 1.0.4, 2.0.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is hadoop-client affected?
Yes, org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client is affected in releases prior to 0.23.4, 1.0.4, 2.0.2. Upgrade your dependency to 0.23.4, 1.0.4, 2.0.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2012-4449?
CVE-2012-4449 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2012-4449?
CVE-2012-4449 is classified under CWE-327: Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm (The product uses a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm or protocol.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2012-4449?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.hadoop'. 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-q46v-cj5v-hvg6",
  "modified" : "2022-07-13T15:47:55Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-17T00:22:31Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2012-4449" ],
  "summary" : "Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm in Apache Hadoop",
  "details" : "Apache Hadoop before 0.23.4, 1.x before 1.0.4, and 2.x before 2.0.2 generate token passwords using a 20-bit secret when Kerberos security features are enabled, which makes it easier for context-dependent attackers to crack secret keys via a brute-force attack.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.23.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "1.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-client"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.0.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4449"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.cloudera.com/documentation/other/security-bulletins/topics/csb_topic_1.html#topic_1_0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/hadoop-general/201210.mbox/%3CCA+z3+9FYdPmzBEaMZ71SUqzRx=eU=o4mSHUsbrpzgR9X_F1c0Q@mail.gmail.com%3E"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-327" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-07-13T15:47:55Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-10-30T19:29:00Z"
  }
}