cbcvebase.
CVE-2023-27524
published 2023-04-24

CVE-2023-27524: Session Validation attacks in Apache Superset versions up to and including 2.0.1. Installations that have not altered the default configured SECRET_KEY…

PriorityP192critical9.8CVSS 3.1
AVNACLPRNUINSUCHIHAH
KEVITWEXPLOITInitial access
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilitydue 2024-01-29
Exploited in the wild
EPSS
97.41%
99.9th percentile
Session Validation attacks in Apache Superset versions up to and including 2.0.1. Installations that have not altered the default configured SECRET_KEY according to installation instructions allow for an attacker to authenticate and access unauthorized resources. This does not affect Superset administrators who have changed the default value for SECRET_KEY config. All superset installations should always set a unique secure random SECRET_KEY. Your SECRET_KEY is used to securely sign all session cookies and encrypting sensitive information on the database. Add a strong SECRET_KEY to your `superset_config.py` file like: SECRET_KEY = Alternatively you can set it with `SUPERSET_SECRET_KEY` environment variable.

Affected

2 ranges
VendorProductVersion rangeFixed in
apachesuperset<= 2.0.1—
apache_software_foundationapache_superset<= 2.0.1—

Detection & IOCsextracted from sources · hover to see the quote

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cookieeyJfdXNlcl9pZCI6MSwidXNlcl9pZCI6MX0.ZKHAPQ.zRjwotMHJES3eW8fJH8F_5GlD-U↗
url/api/v1/database/↗
url/login/↗
url/superset/welcome↗
  • →Detect forged Flask session cookies by checking for the known default SECRET_KEY values used in Apache Superset. A valid session cookie signed with a default key indicates exploitation of CVE-2023-27524. ↗
  • →Monitor HTTP requests to /api/v1/database/ endpoints with a session cookie. Successful 200 responses containing 'database_name' and 'configuration_method' fields indicate authenticated access via a forged cookie. ↗
  • →Alert on HTTP responses to /api/v1/database/ that contain both '"database_name":' and '"configuration_method":' in the body, which confirms successful authentication bypass and database credential exposure. ↗
  • →Detect exploitation attempts by scanning for Shodan/FOFA fingerprints: Apache Superset favicon hash 1582430156 or HTML containing 'Apache Superset', which identifies exposed vulnerable instances. ↗
  • →The exploit decodes the existing session cookie, replaces _user_id and user_id with 1 (admin), re-signs with the default key, and submits to /superset/welcome. Monitor for session cookie replacement patterns targeting admin user ID 1. ↗
  • →The Metasploit module achieves RCE by injecting a pickled Python payload into a Superset dashboard database entry. Monitor for unusual dashboard creation or modification activity combined with pickle deserialization patterns. ↗
  • ·Only Apache Superset installations that have NOT changed the default SECRET_KEY are vulnerable. Instances with a custom SECRET_KEY are not affected. ↗
  • ·Three distinct default SECRET_KEY values are known to be in use across different deployment contexts (deployment template, documentation, and docker-compose), all of which are exploitable. ↗
  • ·The SECRET_KEY is used to securely sign ALL session cookies and encrypt sensitive information in the database, meaning compromise of the key exposes all session data and stored credentials. ↗

CVSS provenance

nvdv3.19.8CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vulncheck8.9HIGH
cisa9.8CRITICAL
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