CVE-2021-40331Network attack vector

Table ownership takeover via SELECT authorization

Published May 5, 2023 · Updated Oct 11, 2024

Incorrect authorization in Apache Ranger Hive Plugin 2.0.0 through 2.3.0 allows remote authenticated users to change Hive table owners. The plugin treats ALTER TABLE SET OWNER as requiring only database SELECT access rather than an ownership-changing privilege. A Hive account with SELECT on a database can therefore take ownership of its tables, gaining owner-derived control beyond the granted read access.

CVSS severity8.1
High
EPSS probability0.92%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect authorization in Apache Ranger Hive Plugin 2.0.0 through 2.3.0 allows remote authenticated users to change Hive table owners. The plugin treats ALTER TABLE SET OWNER as requiring only database SELECT access rather than an ownership-changing privilege. A Hive account with SELECT on a database can therefore take ownership of its tables, gaining owner-derived control beyond the granted read access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-40331
Published
May 5, 2023
Updated
Oct 11, 2024
Vendor
The Apache Software Foundation
Product
Apache Ranger
Classifications
CWE-732
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 5, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 11, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.0.0 <=2.3.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Apache Software Foundation · Apache Rangerversion=2.0.0 <=2.3.0
The Apache Software Foundation · Apache Ranger Hive Pluginversion=2.0.0 <=2.3.0

Published CVSS scores

8.1CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
8.1NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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