HadoopApplication · Apache
CVE-2015-1776
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedApache Hadoop 2.6.x encrypts intermediate data generated by a MapReduce job and stores it along with the encryption key in a credentials file on disk when the Intermediate data encryption feature is enabled, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information by reading the file.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceApache Hadoop 2.6.x stores encryption keys in plaintext within credentials files on disk when intermediate data encryption is enabled for MapReduce jobs. Local users with filesystem access can read these credentials files and obtain the encryption keys, defeating the purpose of data encryption.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
HadoopApplication
= 2.6.0= 2.6.1= 2.6.2= 2.6.3= 2.6.4CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Hadoop versionRun 'hadoop version' or check the Hadoop distribution package manager to determine the exact version numberAffected if Version is 2.6.0, 2.6.1, 2.6.2, 2.6.3, or 2.6.4
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Verify if MapReduce intermediate data encryption is enabledReview MapReduce job configuration for 'mapreduce.jobtracker.keytab.file' or 'mapreduce.job.credentials.file' settings, or check for 'hadoop.security.crypto.codec.classes' and 'hadoop.security.encryption' settings in core-site.xml and mapred-site.xmlAffected if Intermediate data encryption is explicitly configured or enabled for MapReduce jobs
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Locate MapReduce credentials filesSearch for files named 'job_*.credentials' or similar credential cache files in the MapReduce job history directory (typically /mr-history/tmp or /mr-history/done) and the application's local working directoryAffected if Credentials files exist on disk and contain encryption key material in plaintext
A system is affected only if it runs Hadoop 2.6.0-2.6.4 AND has MapReduce intermediate data encryption enabled, which results in plaintext encryption keys stored in credential files accessible to local users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataDisable intermediate data encryption if not required, or implement Hadoop's KMS (Key Management Server) for secure key storage instead of filesystem-based credentials. Ensure strict filesystem permissions to limit access to credential files.
Fix this in Hadoop
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,680.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-1776 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-1776 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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