CVE-2022-33682 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

This CVE-2022-33682 affects Apache Pulsar versions 2.6.4 and earlier, 2.7.x, 2.8.x, 2.9.x, and 2.10.0, leaving intra-cluster and geo-replication connections vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks due to disabled TLS hostname verification. An attacker could exploit this issue to intercept sensitive data.

Understanding CVE-2022-33682

This vulnerability was discovered by Michael Marshall of DataStax and allows attackers to manipulate connections in Apache Pulsar Broker, Proxy, and WebSocket Proxy, leading to potential data leakage.

What is CVE-2022-33682?

TLS hostname verification is disabled in Apache Pulsar components, making intra-cluster and geo-replication connections susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, compromising data integrity and confidentiality.

The Impact of CVE-2022-33682

The vulnerability could result in leaked credentials, configuration, or message data, endangering the security and privacy of affected systems and users.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-33682

Vulnerability Description: The Pulsar Broker's Java Client, WebSocket Proxy's Java Client, and Proxy's Admin Client are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks due to disabled TLS hostname verification.

Affected Systems and Versions: Apache Pulsar Broker, Proxy, and WebSocket Proxy versions 2.6.4 and earlier, 2.7.0 to 2.7.4, 2.8.0 to 2.8.3, 2.9.0 to 2.9.2, and 2.10.0.

Exploitation Mechanism: Attackers could intercept and manipulate connections between clients and servers using cryptographically valid certificates for unrelated hosts.

Mitigation and Prevention

To address CVE-2022-33682, users must take immediate steps and implement long-term security practices to secure their Apache Pulsar environments.

Immediate Steps to Take

Rotate static authentication data, including tokens and passwords, used by affected applications.
Update configuration files to enable hostname verification in Broker, WebSocket Proxy, and Proxy.

Long-Term Security Practices

Upgrade Pulsar Brokers, Proxies, and WebSocket Proxies to patched versions (2.7.5, 2.8.4, 2.9.3, 2.10.1).
Regularly rotate authentication data and apply proper configuration settings.

Patching and Updates

Ensure Pulsar installations are running the latest patched versions and follow Apache's recommended configuration updates to mitigate the vulnerability.