CVE-2023-41267 – This CVE involves a documentation error in Apac... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-41267?

CVE-2023-41267 has a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). This CVE involves a documentation error in Apache Airflow HDFS Provider versions before 4.1.1, which incorrectly directed users to install an unclaimed pip package. An attacker could have claimed this package and distributed malicious code, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution during installation. Users who installed the provider based on the flawed documentation are affected, but the risk is now neutralized as the Airflow team has taken ownership of the package.

📋 TL;DR

This CVE involves a documentation error in Apache Airflow HDFS Provider versions before 4.1.1, which incorrectly directed users to install an unclaimed pip package. An attacker could have claimed this package and distributed malicious code, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution during installation. Users who installed the provider based on the flawed documentation are affected, but the risk is now neutralized as the Airflow team has taken ownership of the package.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Apache Airflow HDFS Provider

Versions: Versions prior to 4.1.1

Operating Systems: All

Default Config Vulnerable: ✅ No

Notes: Vulnerability only affects users who installed the provider based on incorrect documentation; default installations are not inherently vulnerable.

📦 What is this software?

Airflow Hdfs Provider by Apache

View all CVEs affecting Airflow Hdfs Provider →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

An attacker claims the unclaimed package, distributes malicious code, and users install it, leading to arbitrary code execution, data theft, or system compromise.

🟠

Likely Case

No exploitation occurred, as the Airflow team quickly claimed the package, but users might have installed incorrect or outdated versions, causing operational issues.

🟢

If Mitigated

With proper controls like verifying package sources and using trusted repositories, the risk is minimal, and no impact occurs if users follow secure installation practices.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW, as this is a documentation issue requiring user action to install a specific package, not an active network exploit; the package is now owned by the Airflow team.

🏢 Internal Only: LOW, similar to internet-facing risk, as exploitation depends on manual installation errors and the package is now secured.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: HIGH

Exploitation required an attacker to claim the unclaimed package and trick users into installing it; no known exploits exist, and the package is now owned by the Airflow team.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 4.1.1

Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread/ggthr5pn42bn6wcr25hxnykjzh4ntw7z

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Update Apache Airflow HDFS Provider to version 4.1.1 or later using pip: 'pip install --upgrade apache-airflow-providers-hdfs==4.1.1'. 2. Verify installation with 'pip show apache-airflow-providers-hdfs'.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Verify Package Source

all

Ensure you install packages only from trusted sources like PyPI and verify package ownership before installation.

pip install --index-url https://pypi.org/simple apache-airflow-providers-hdfs

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Monitor for any suspicious package installations or system changes, and review installation logs for anomalies.
Educate users on secure software installation practices, such as verifying package names and sources before installation.

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check the installed version of Apache Airflow HDFS Provider: 'pip show apache-airflow-providers-hdfs' and look for version less than 4.1.1.

Check Version:

pip show apache-airflow-providers-hdfs | grep Version

Verify Fix Applied:

After updating, run 'pip show apache-airflow-providers-hdfs' to confirm version is 4.1.1 or higher.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Log entries showing installation of apache-airflow-providers-hdfs from untrusted sources or with unexpected package names.

Network Indicators:

Unusual outbound connections to unknown package repositories during installation processes.

SIEM Query:

Example: 'event_source="pip" AND package_name="apache-airflow-providers-hdfs" AND version<"4.1.1"'

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-41267

CVSS v3 Score: 7.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-829

Published: September 14, 2023

Last Updated: February 13, 2025

🔗 References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/14/3 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/33813 Patch
https://lists.apache.org/thread/ggthr5pn42bn6wcr25hxnykjzh4ntw7z Mailing List,Vendor Advisory
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/09/14/3 Mailing List,Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/33813 Patch
https://lists.apache.org/thread/ggthr5pn42bn6wcr25hxnykjzh4ntw7z Mailing List,Vendor Advisory

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