Administrator impersonation via unsigned JWT acceptance
Published May 26, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024
Authentication bypass in Apache Pulsar before 2.7.1 allows remote attackers to connect as any user via an unsigned JWT. The token authentication provider trusts the JWT subject claim as the role when the header selects the none algorithm, parsing the token without verifying a cryptographic signature. Reachability requires JWT-based client authentication; a forged subject can assume an administrator role and access all cluster resources allowed to that role.
Summary
What happened
Authentication bypass in Apache Pulsar before 2.7.1 allows remote attackers to connect as any user via an unsigned JWT. The token authentication provider trusts the JWT subject claim as the role when the header selects the none algorithm, parsing the token without verifying a cryptographic signature. Reachability requires JWT-based client authentication; a forged subject can assume an administrator role and access all cluster resources allowed to that role.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-22160
- Published
- May 26, 2021
- Updated
- Aug 3, 2024
- Vendor
- Apache Software Foundation
- Product
- Apache Pulsar
- Classifications
- CWE-347, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 26, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=Apache Pulsar <2.7.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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