CVE-2022-33891 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Apache Spark is vulnerable to a shell command injection issue via the Spark UI due to improper neutralization of special elements in an OS command. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary shell commands as the user Spark is currently running as. This affects Apache Spark versions 3.0.3 and earlier, versions 3.1.1 to 3.1.2, and versions 3.2.0 to 3.2.1.

Understanding CVE-2022-33891

This section dives into the details of the CVE-2022-33891 vulnerability in Apache Spark, including its impacts and technical aspects.

What is CVE-2022-33891?

The Apache Spark UI allows enabling ACLs via a configuration option, which, when abused, can lead to impersonation, enabling attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands on the targeted system.

The Impact of CVE-2022-33891

The vulnerability allows an attacker to perform impersonation by providing an arbitrary user name, leading to unauthorized access and execution of arbitrary shell commands with the privileges of the Spark user.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-33891

In this section, we explore the vulnerability description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism associated with CVE-2022-33891.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises due to a code path in HttpSecurityFilter allowing an attacker to bypass permission checks and execute arbitrary shell commands via the Spark UI, posing a significant security risk.

Affected Systems and Versions

Apache Spark versions 3.0.3 and earlier, 3.1.1 to 3.1.2, and 3.2.0 to 3.2.1 are impacted by this vulnerability, potentially exposing systems to unauthorized command execution.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit the ACLs configuration option to provide an arbitrary user name, leading to unauthorized access and execution of arbitrary shell commands with the current user's privileges.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section outlines the immediate steps to mitigate the CVE-2022-33891 vulnerability, ensuring the security of Apache Spark installations.

Immediate Steps to Take

To address this vulnerability, users are advised to upgrade to supported Apache Spark maintenance releases like 3.1.3, 3.2.2, or 3.3.0, or later versions that contain patches to rectify the shell command injection issue.

Long-Term Security Practices

In the long term, organizations should follow secure coding practices, conduct regular security audits, and stay informed about security updates to prevent such vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitoring for security updates and applying patches as soon as they are released is crucial to safeguarding systems from known vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-33891.