CVE-2016-8746: Ranger plugins common Apache Ranger Policy Engine Incorrectly Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xv7x-x6wr-xx7g
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CVSS 5.9
CWE-426
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2016-8746 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.9) apache ranger policy engine incorrectly vulnerability (CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path) affecting Ranger plugins common libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache ranger policy engine incorrectly matches paths in certain conditions. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.6.3.

CVE-2016-8746 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2016-8746
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xv7x-x6wr-xx7g
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.9
CWE Classification CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path
Affected Product Ranger plugins common
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:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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 None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2016-8746

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Ranger plugins common 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.ranger:ranger-plugins-common fixed: 0.6.3 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.ranger</groupId>
    <artifactId>ranger-plugins-common</artifactId>
    <version>0.6.3</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.ranger

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2016-8746, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

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

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Ranger plugins common in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 0.6.3), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.ranger 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-426: Untrusted Search Path, where the product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control. In Ranger plugins common, 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 Ranger before 0.6.3 policy engine incorrectly matches paths in certain conditions when policy does not contain wildcards and has recursion flag set to true.

CVE-2016-8746 Affected Ranger plugins common Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.6.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.ranger:ranger-plugins-common
maven/org.apache.ranger/ranger-plugins-common
Maven
< 0.6.3
0.6.3

References

NVD — CVE-2016-8746 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8746
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/ranger/commit/2fcd7f7cc175c0734443638b99c359e24c0f88ff
cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/... WEB
https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/RANGER/Vulnerabilities+found+in+Ranger
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xv7x-x6wr-xx7g
Ranger plugins common Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95998

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2016-8746?
CVE-2016-8746 is a security vulnerability in Ranger plugins common involving Apache Ranger policy engine incorrectly matches paths in certain conditions under CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path.
Which Ranger plugins common versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.6.3 across affected packages: org.apache.ranger:ranger-plugins-common.
What version fixes CVE-2016-8746?
Upgrading to 0.6.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is ranger-plugins-common affected?
Yes, org.apache.ranger:ranger-plugins-common is affected in releases prior to 0.6.3. Upgrade your dependency to 0.6.3 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2016-8746?
CVE-2016-8746 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.9 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2016-8746?
CVE-2016-8746 is classified under CWE-426: Untrusted Search Path (The product searches for critical resources using an externally-supplied search path that can point to resources that are not under the product's direct control.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2016-8746?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.ranger'. 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-xv7x-x6wr-xx7g",
  "modified" : "2023-11-21T11:56:13Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-17T17:22:05Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2016-8746" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Ranger policy engine incorrectly matches paths in certain conditions",
  "details" : "Apache Ranger before 0.6.3 policy engine incorrectly matches paths in certain conditions when policy does not contain wildcards and has recursion flag set to true.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.ranger:ranger-plugins-common"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.6.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-8746"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/ranger/commit/2fcd7f7cc175c0734443638b99c359e24c0f88ff"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/RANGER/Vulnerabilities+found+in+Ranger"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xv7x-x6wr-xx7g"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/95998"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-426" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T22:04:33Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}