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Apache Ranger EUVDEUVD-2026-55253

| CVE-2026-32227 CRITICAL
SQL Injection (CWE-89)
2026-08-10 apache GHSA-8w96-gvmm-v92g
9.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: apache
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach Ranger Admin endpoint over network
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted parameter with SQL payload
  3. Exploit
    Backend concatenates input into query
  4. Execution
    Injected SQL executes on policy database
  5. Persist
    Exfiltrate or alter authorization policies
  6. Impact
    Undermine cluster-wide access control

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Parameterized queries, prepared statements
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Persistence

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

The record asserts network-reachable, low-complexity exploitation with no privileges and no user interaction (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N), which would mean exploitation against a Ranger deployment whose Admin/REST tier is reachable by the attacker. The concrete prerequisite is network access to the vulnerable Ranger Admin endpoint that processes the injectable parameter; the exact endpoint/feature is not named in the available data. Limiting factors: the source description omits affected versions and does not identify the vulnerable component, and the claimed PR:N (unauthenticated) conflicts with Ranger's typical authenticated Admin tier - if the real vulnerable endpoint requires a valid Ranger login, exploitation is limited to authenticated users, so this must be confirmed against the Apache advisory before assuming pre-auth reachability.

Impact

Signals are mixed. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, C:H/I:H/A:H) describes an unauthenticated, low-complexity, network-reachable attack with total impact - a textbook critical. However, EPSS is low at 0.21% (12th percentile), there is no KEV listing and no public exploit identified, indicating that real-world exploitation is not currently observed and may be theoretical or would require attacker development. There is a notable conflict to verify: many Ranger SQLi issues historically reside behind the authenticated Admin/REST tier, yet this record asserts PR:N (unauthenticated); the description is too sparse to confirm that the vulnerable endpoint is genuinely reachable pre-authentication - verify with the Apache advisory. Additionally, the affected-version field in the description is literally blank ('This issue affects .'), so the exposure window cannot be independently confirmed. Net: treat as high-priority to patch given the criticality and centrality of Ranger, but the low EPSS and absent exploit suggest this is not yet under active mass exploitation.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker with network access to the Ranger Admin interface sends a crafted request containing malicious SQL in a vulnerable parameter, causing the backend to execute attacker-controlled queries. This lets them dump policy and credential data, tamper with authorization policies to grant themselves access across the Hadoop cluster, or drop tables to disrupt governance. No public exploit is identified at this time, so an attacker would need to develop the payload; the low attack complexity (AC:L) suggests this is straightforward once the vulnerable endpoint is located.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: CRITICAL severity.
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv2 – Aug 12, 2026

SQL injection in Apache Ranger allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary SQL through the application's data-access layer, exposing the backing policy/audit database to full read, modification, and destruction. Because Ranger is the centralized authorization and access-control service for Hadoop and related big-data platforms, compromise here can undermine security policy enforcement across an entire data estate. Rated CVSS 9.8; no public exploit identified at time of analysis, EPSS is low (0.21%, 12th percentile), and the flaw is fixed in version 2.9.0.

Earlier versions of this analysis (1)
v1 Aug 10, 2026 - 11:08

SQL injection in Apache Ranger allows attackers to manipulate backend database queries through unsanitized user-supplied input. All versions prior to 2.9.0 are affected, covering the widely-deployed Hadoop security management platform. Successful exploitation could expose sensitive authorization policies, credentials, and audit logs stored in the Ranger database, and potentially allow data modification. No public exploit has been identified at time of analysis, and no CISA KEV listing is present.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: 2.9.0 - upgrade Apache Ranger to 2.9.0, which fixes the issue per the Apache advisory (https://lists.apache.org/thread/1zltfzd6rp683omrlv1zkxvkwm9d0nd2). Until the upgrade can be scheduled, reduce exposure by restricting network access to the Ranger Admin service and its REST API to trusted management networks or a VPN/bastion (trade-off: may disrupt automation or plugins that call the API from other hosts), placing a WAF or reverse proxy in front of Ranger Admin to filter SQL metacharacters on request parameters (trade-off: signature-based filtering can be bypassed and may cause false positives on legitimate policy names), and ensuring the database account used by Ranger runs with least privilege so injected queries cannot escalate beyond the Ranger schema (trade-off: limits blast radius but does not close the injection). Review Ranger audit and database query logs for anomalous statements as a detection measure.

Affects your stack

Find out whether the stacks and servers you run are on an affected version.

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Apache Ranger is an open-source framework for centralized authorization, auditing, and data governance across the Hadoop ecosystem (HDFS, Hive, HBase, Kafka, YARN, etc.), with a Ranger Admin web/REST tier backed by a relational database (typically MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL, or Oracle) that stores policies, users, roles, and audit records. The root cause is CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command): user-controllable input is concatenated into a database query without proper parameterization or escaping, letting an attacker alter query logic. The affected component per CPE is cpe:2.3:a:apache_software_foundation:apache_ranger - the exact vulnerable sub-module (e.g., a specific search/filter or REST endpoint in Ranger Admin) is not specified in the available advisory text.

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Severity by source

Vendor (apache) PRIMARY 9.8 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 9.8 CRITICAL

Network-reachable low-complexity SQLi with full DB read/write/destroy gives C:H/I:H/A:H; PR:N retained per the input vector but auth requirement is unconfirmed and could raise PR.

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (apache).

CVSS VectorVendor: apache

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Analysis Updated
Aug 12, 2026 - 16:30 vuln.today
v2 - CVSS changed
CVSS changed
Aug 12, 2026 - 16:22 NVD
9.8 (CRITICAL)

DescriptionCVE.org

SQL Injection vulnerability vulnerability in Apache Ranger.

This issue affects .

Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.9.0, which fixes the issue.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A critical vulnerability in Apache Ranger could allow attackers to tamper with organization-wide access control policies and audit records. Since Ranger serves as the centralized authorization system for Hadoop and big-data infrastructure, successful exploitation would undermine security policy enforcement across the entire data estate, directly impacting data governance and compliance.

Business Impact: Severe
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch: Apache Ranger version 2.9.0.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 88% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
widely used in enterprise Hadoop/big-data security stacks, not universal
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity CRITICAL
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
CRITICAL severity
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Out-of-Cycle
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable· derived
Yes
Human Impact
Very High

Priority Score

34
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +34
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

SQL injection exploits the way applications construct database queries by mixing user input directly into SQL statements.

Affected Products (CPE)CVE.org

cpe:2.3:a:apache_software_foundation:apache_ranger:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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