CVE-2021-45232
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass authentication in Apache APISIX Dashboard by directly accessing APIs through the gin framework interface instead of the droplet framework where authentication is enforced. It affects all Apache APISIX Dashboard deployments before version 2.10.1. This enables unauthorized access to administrative functions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Apache APISIX Dashboard
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the APISIX Dashboard allowing attackers to reconfigure API routes, modify security policies, inject malicious code, or gain control over the entire API gateway infrastructure.
Likely Case
Unauthorized administrative access leading to configuration changes, data exposure, or service disruption through API route manipulation.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if network segmentation restricts dashboard access and proper authentication controls are in place elsewhere.
🎯 Exploit Status
The vulnerability is straightforward to exploit as it involves direct API calls bypassing authentication middleware.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.10.1
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread/979qbl6vlm8269fopfyygnxofgqyn6k5
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Stop the APISIX Dashboard service. 2. Upgrade to version 2.10.1 or later. 3. Restart the service. 4. Verify the fix by testing authentication requirements.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
linuxRestrict network access to the dashboard management interface using firewall rules.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9000 -s trusted_ip_range -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9000 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate the dashboard from untrusted networks
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with authentication bypass detection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the dashboard version via the web interface or by examining the deployment configuration. Versions before 2.10.1 are vulnerable.Check Version:
curl -s http://dashboard-host:port/apisix/admin/routes | grep version or check dashboard web interfaceVerify Fix Applied:
After patching, attempt to access dashboard APIs without authentication. All requests should return authentication errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthenticated API requests to dashboard endpoints
- Authentication bypass attempts in access logs
- Unusual administrative actions from unexpected IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- Direct API calls to dashboard endpoints without authentication headers
- Traffic to dashboard management port from unauthorized sources
SIEM Query:
source="apisix-dashboard" AND (status=200 OR status=201) AND NOT (user!="" OR auth_token!="")