Skip to content

Apache Pulsar Disabled Certificate Validation for OAuth Client Credential Requests makes C++/Python Clients vulnerable to MITM attack

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Nov 4, 2022 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Jan 28, 2023

Package

pip pulsar-client (pip)

Affected versions

< 2.7.5
>= 2.8.0, < 2.8.4
>= 2.9.0, < 2.9.3
>= 2.10.0, < 2.10.2

Patched versions

2.7.5
2.8.4
2.9.3
2.10.2

Description

The Apache Pulsar C++ Client does not verify peer TLS certificates when making HTTPS calls for the OAuth2.0 Client Credential Flow, even when tlsAllowInsecureConnection is disabled via configuration. This vulnerability allows an attacker to perform a man in the middle attack and intercept and/or modify the GET request that is sent to the ClientCredentialFlow "issuer url". The intercepted credentials can be used to acquire authentication data from the OAuth2.0 server to then authenticate with an Apache Pulsar cluster. An attacker can only take advantage of this vulnerability by taking control of a machine "between" the client and the server. The attacker must then actively manipulate traffic to perform the attack. The Apache Pulsar Python Client wraps the C++ client, so it is also vulnerable in the same way.

This issue affects Apache Pulsar C++ Client and Python Client versions 2.7.0 to 2.7.4; 2.8.0 to 2.8.3; 2.9.0 to 2.9.2; 2.10.0 to 2.10.1; 2.6.4 and earlier.

Any users running affected versions of the C++ Client or the Python Client should rotate vulnerable OAuth2.0 credentials, including client_id and client_secret.

  • 2.7 C++ and Python Client users should upgrade to 2.7.5 and rotate vulnerable OAuth2.0 credentials.
  • 2.8 C++ and Python Client users should upgrade to 2.8.4 and rotate vulnerable OAuth2.0 credentials.
  • 2.9 C++ and Python Client users should upgrade to 2.9.3 and rotate vulnerable OAuth2.0 credentials.
  • 2.10 C++ and Python Client users should upgrade to 2.10.2 and rotate vulnerable OAuth2.0 credentials. 3.0 C++ users are unaffected and 3.0 Python Client users will be unaffected when it is released.
  • Any users running the C++ and Python Client for 2.6 or less should upgrade to one of the above patched versions.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Nov 4, 2022
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Nov 4, 2022
Reviewed Nov 8, 2022
Last updated Jan 28, 2023

Severity

High

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
High
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS score

0.071%
(33rd percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2022-33684

GHSA ID

GHSA-5r3h-c3r7-9w4h

Credits

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.