CVE-2025-23015Network attack vector

Cluster superuser escalation via system-keyspace writes

Published Feb 4, 2025 · Updated Feb 15, 2025

Privilege escalation in affected Apache Cassandra releases allows remote authenticated users to obtain cluster superuser access. Grant handling incorrectly lets MODIFY ON ALL KEYSPACES extend to protected system keyspaces, permitting writes to authentication resources. The flaw requires valid credentials with MODIFY on all keyspaces and affects the 3.0, 3.11, 4.0, 4.1, and 5.0 branches through 3.0.30, 3.11.17, 4.0.15, 4.1.7, and 5.0.2, respectively.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability1.00%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in affected Apache Cassandra releases allows remote authenticated users to obtain cluster superuser access. Grant handling incorrectly lets MODIFY ON ALL KEYSPACES extend to protected system keyspaces, permitting writes to authentication resources. The flaw requires valid credentials with MODIFY on all keyspaces and affects the 3.0, 3.11, 4.0, 4.1, and 5.0 branches through 3.0.30, 3.11.17, 4.0.15, 4.1.7, and 5.0.2, respectively.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-23015
Published
Feb 4, 2025
Updated
Feb 15, 2025
Vendor
The Apache Software Foundation
Product
Apache Cassandra
Classifications
CWE-267, T1068
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 15, 2025Record 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=3.0.0 <=3.0.30
  2. Affected versionversion=3.1.0 <=3.11.17
  3. Affected versionversion=4.0.0 <=4.0.15
  4. Affected versionversion=4.1.0 <=4.1.7
  5. Affected versionversion=5.0.0 <=5.0.2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Apache Software Foundation · Apache Cassandraversion=3.0.0 <=3.0.30; version=3.1.0 <=3.11.17; version=4.0.0 <=4.0.15; version=4.1.0 <=4.1.7; version=5.0.0 <=5.0.2

Published CVSS scores

8.8National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-267Privilege Defined With Unsafe Actions
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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