CVE-2022-41137
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Apache Hive Metastore allows authenticated users to achieve remote code execution by exploiting unsafe deserialization in partition filtering operations. Only authenticated clients with established Metastore connections can exploit this vulnerability. The issue affects deployments where untrusted clients can interact with the Metastore API.
💻 Affected Systems
- Apache Hive Metastore
📦 What is this software?
Hive by Apache
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining complete control over the Metastore server, potentially leading to data exfiltration, lateral movement, and persistent backdoors.
Likely Case
Authenticated attackers achieving RCE within the Metastore context, allowing them to execute arbitrary code, access sensitive metadata, and potentially compromise connected systems.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication controls, and input validation preventing exploitation attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access and knowledge of the vulnerable API endpoints. The deserialization vulnerability is well-understood in security circles.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Versions with commit 60027bb9c91a93affcfebd9068f064bc1f2a74c9 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread/jwtr3d9yovf2wo0qlxvkhoxnwxxyzgts
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Apache Hive to a version containing the security fix. 2. Restart the Hive Metastore service. 3. Verify the fix by checking the commit hash includes 60027bb9c91a93affcfebd9068f064bc1f2a74c9.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Restriction
linuxRestrict network access to Hive Metastore to only trusted clients and networks
# Configure firewall rules to limit Metastore port access
# Example: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9083 -s trusted_network -j ACCEPT
# iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 9083 -j DROP
Authentication Hardening
allImplement strong authentication mechanisms and limit client permissions
# Review and tighten Metastore authentication configuration
# Ensure only necessary users have access to partition filtering APIs
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate Hive Metastore from untrusted networks
- Apply input validation and filtering at the application layer before data reaches the vulnerable deserialization method
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if your Hive version includes the vulnerable SerializationUtilities#deserializeObjectWithTypeInformation method without the security fixCheck Version:
hive --version or check the Hive installation directory for version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Verify the commit hash includes 60027bb9c91a93affcfebd9068f064bc1f2a74c9 or check that you're running a patched version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual deserialization errors in Metastore logs
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful connections
- Suspicious partition filtering requests
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to Metastore port (default 9083)
- Multiple serialized object transmissions from single clients
SIEM Query:
source="hive-metastore.log" AND ("deserialize" OR "SerializationUtilities") AND error OR source="hive-metastore.log" AND "partition" AND "filter" AND suspicious_pattern