CVE-2025-23196
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a code injection vulnerability in Apache Ambari's Alert Definition feature where authenticated users can inject arbitrary shell commands through the script filename field. The vulnerability allows remote code execution on the server when exploited. Organizations running vulnerable versions of Apache Ambari with authenticated user access are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Apache Ambari
📦 What is this software?
Ambari by Apache
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with attacker gaining root privileges, data exfiltration, lateral movement within the network, and persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to sensitive data, service disruption, and potential privilege escalation within the Ambari-managed cluster.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to network segmentation, minimal user privileges, and proper input validation in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated access and knowledge of the alert definition feature. The vulnerability is in the script execution mechanism using sh -c.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Latest versions of Ambari (specific version not provided in CVE description)
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread/70g1l5lxvko7kvhyxmtmklhhfrlon837
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Upgrade Apache Ambari to the latest version. 2. Verify the fix by checking the alert definition functionality. 3. Review and update any custom alert scripts.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Alert Definition Permissions
allLimit which users can create or modify alert definitions to only necessary administrative accounts.
Input Validation for Alert Scripts
allImplement additional validation for script filename fields to prevent command injection.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate Ambari servers from critical systems
- Apply principle of least privilege to all Ambari user accounts and monitor for suspicious alert definition changes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Ambari version and review alert definition configurations for any suspicious script filenames containing shell metacharacters.Check Version:
ambari-server --versionVerify Fix Applied:
After upgrading, attempt to create an alert definition with a script filename containing shell injection payloads (e.g., 'test; id') and verify it fails or is properly sanitized.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual alert definition creation/modification logs
- Suspicious commands in Ambari server logs following alert execution
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by alert definition changes
Network Indicators:
- Unexpected outbound connections from Ambari servers
- Unusual network traffic patterns from Ambari to other systems
SIEM Query:
source="ambari" AND (event="alert_definition" OR event="script_execution") AND command="*;*" OR command="*|*" OR command="*`*"