CVE-2017-8446: X pack Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m728-qvxh-xfjq
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CVSS 5.3
CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-8446 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) improper privilege management vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting X pack libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper privilege management in x-pack. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.5.2.

CVE-2017-8446 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-8446
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m728-qvxh-xfjq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.3
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product X pack
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.3

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:L/I:N/A:N).

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 Low (C:L)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2017-8446

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected X pack 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.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack fixed: 5.5.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.elasticsearch.plugin</groupId>
    <artifactId>x-pack</artifactId>
    <version>5.5.2</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.elasticsearch.plugin

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2017-8446, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch.plugin

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of X pack in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.5.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch.plugin 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-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In X pack, 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

The Reporting feature in X-Pack in versions prior to 5.5.2 and standalone Reporting plugin versions versions prior to 2.4.6 had an impersonation vulnerability. A user with the reporting_user role could execute a report with the permissions of another reporting user, possibly gaining access to sensitive data.

CVE-2017-8446 Affected X pack Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.5.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack
maven/org.elasticsearch.plugin/x-pack
Maven
< 5.5.2
5.5.2

References

NVD — CVE-2017-8446 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-8446
X pack Security Information SECURITY
https://www.elastic.co/community/security

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-8446?
CVE-2017-8446 is a security vulnerability in X pack involving Improper Privilege Management in X-Pack under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which X pack versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.5.2 across affected packages: org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack.
What version fixes CVE-2017-8446?
Upgrading to 5.5.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is x-pack affected?
Yes, org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack is affected in releases prior to 5.5.2. Upgrade your dependency to 5.5.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-8446?
CVE-2017-8446 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-8446?
CVE-2017-8446 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2017-8446?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.elasticsearch.plugin'. 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-m728-qvxh-xfjq",
  "modified" : "2022-11-04T18:39:46Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:36:10Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-8446" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Privilege Management in X-Pack ",
  "details" : "The Reporting feature in X-Pack in versions prior to 5.5.2 and standalone Reporting plugin versions versions prior to 2.4.6 had an impersonation vulnerability. A user with the reporting_user role could execute a report with the permissions of another reporting user, possibly gaining access to sensitive data.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.elasticsearch.plugin:x-pack"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.5.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-8446"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.elastic.co/community/security"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-11-04T18:39:46Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-08-18T20:29:00Z"
  }
}