CVE-2024-45478
📋 TL;DR
A stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the Edit Service Page of Apache Ranger's web interface. This allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute when legitimate users view the affected page. Organizations running Apache Ranger 2.4.0 with the web UI accessible are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Apache Ranger
📦 What is this software?
Ranger by Apache
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator session cookies, perform actions as authenticated users, or redirect users to malicious sites, potentially leading to full system compromise if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Likely Case
Session hijacking, credential theft, or defacement of the Ranger UI interface for users who access the compromised Edit Service Page.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and output encoding in place, though the vulnerability still exists at the application layer.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires the attacker to have access to create or edit a service in Ranger (typically authenticated), but once the XSS payload is stored, it executes for any user viewing that page without further authentication.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Apache Ranger 2.5.0
Vendor Advisory: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/RANGER/Vulnerabilities+found+in+Ranger
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup current Ranger configuration and data. 2. Download Apache Ranger 2.5.0 from the official Apache website. 3. Stop the Ranger service. 4. Replace the existing installation with version 2.5.0. 5. Restart the Ranger service. 6. Verify the UI functions correctly.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Filter
allImplement a web application firewall (WAF) or input validation filter to sanitize or block malicious script inputs in the Edit Service Page.
Restrict UI Access
linuxLimit access to the Ranger UI to trusted IP addresses or networks only, reducing the attack surface.
# Example using iptables for Linux
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 6080 -s TRUSTED_IP -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 6080 -j DROP
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable or restrict access to the Edit Service Page functionality in the Ranger UI if not required.
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to mitigate XSS impact by restricting script execution sources.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check the Apache Ranger version by accessing the Ranger UI and viewing the version in the footer or via the server logs. If version is 2.4.0, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
grep 'Ranger version' /path/to/ranger/logs/ranger-admin.log or check the UI footer.Verify Fix Applied:
After upgrading, confirm the version is 2.5.0 in the UI or logs, and test the Edit Service Page with safe XSS payloads (e.g., <script>alert('test')</script>) to ensure it is sanitized.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual entries in Ranger UI access logs showing script tags or JavaScript in POST requests to service edit endpoints.
- Errors related to script execution in browser console logs from users.
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing script tags or encoded JavaScript sent to Ranger UI endpoints, especially to /service/edit or similar paths.
SIEM Query:
source="ranger-ui-access.log" AND (url_path="/service/edit" OR url_path="/service/defs") AND (http_method="POST" OR http_method="PUT") AND (request_body CONTAINS "<script>" OR request_body CONTAINS "javascript:")