The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a warning regarding a security vulnerability in Apache Flink, an open-source framework used for unified stream-processing and batch-processing. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2020-17519, is a result of improper access control, which can allow an attacker to access any file on the local filesystem of the JobManager through its REST interface. The flaw also enables remote unauthenticated attackers to send specially crafted directory traversal requests, potentially granting unauthorized access to sensitive information.
This significant vulnerability impacts Apache Flink versions 1.11.0, 1.11.1, and 1.11.2. The issue was addressed by the developers in January 2021 with the release of versions 1.11.3 and 1.12.0. However, due to the ongoing active exploitation of this flaw, CISA has emphasized the importance of immediate remediation. Federal agencies and other organizations using affected versions of Apache Flink are strongly advised to apply the latest updates by June 13, 2024, to protect their networks from potential threats.
Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 has highlighted that the nature of the attacks exploiting CVE-2020-17519 is still unclear. However, they have observed extensive exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2020-28188 and CVE-2020-29227, from late 2020 to early 2021. These vulnerabilities were actively exploited in the wild, demonstrating the critical need for swift action to mitigate the associated risks.
In conclusion, the proactive measures recommended by CISA are crucial for maintaining the security and integrity of networks utilizing Apache Flink. Organizations must ensure they are running the latest, patched versions of the software to defend against unauthorized access and potential data breaches. Staying informed about such vulnerabilities and promptly addressing them is essential in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
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