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SentryApplication · Apache

CVE-2016-0760

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-08-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Multiple incomplete blacklist vulnerabilities in Apache Sentry before 1.7.0 allow remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via the (1) reflect, (2) reflect2, or (3) java_method Hive builtin functions.

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 confidence

Apache Sentry before version 1.7.0 contains incomplete blacklist protection that fails to properly filter dangerous Hive builtin functions (reflect, reflect2, and java_method), allowing authenticated remote users to execute arbitrary code by leveraging these functions.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache Sentry 1.7.0 or later which implements proper blacklist filtering for these dangerous functions; additionally, restrict database/warehouse permissions for untrusted users until the upgrade is completed.

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
SentryApplication
Affected:= 1.5.1= 1.6.0

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache Sentry installation and version
    Check the installed Sentry version by reviewing the Sentry package or JAR files, or by querying the Sentry service metadata if accessible (e.g., check pom.xml, MANIFEST.MF, or the Sentry admin interface for version information)
    Affected if The installed version is 1.5.1 or 1.6.0 (the affected versions)
  2. Confirm Hive authorization is enabled with Sentry
    Verify that Sentry's Hive plugin is enabled: check hive-site.xml for settings like hive.security.authorization.manager pointing to Sentry's authorization provider (org.apache.sentry.provider.common.HiveAuthorizationProvider)
    Affected if Sentry authorization is enabled and configured for Hive, meaning the dangerous function blacklist would need to be in effect to protect the system
  3. Verify dangerous functions are accessible
    Test whether Hive queries can invoke the functions reflect, reflect2, or java_method by running a test query like 'SELECT reflect('java.lang.System', 'out', 'Hello')' through a Hive client authenticated via Sentry
    Affected if These functions execute successfully, indicating the blacklist is not properly blocking them (only affects versions 1.5.1 and 1.6.0)
  4. Review Sentry policy files for explicit function restrictions
    Examine the Sentry database or policy files (sentry-provider.ini or equivalent) to see if reflect, reflect2, and java_method are explicitly blacklisted in the function permissions section
    Affected if The dangerous functions are NOT explicitly blacklisted in the Sentry policy configuration

You are affected if Sentry version 1.5.1 or 1.6.0 is installed with Hive authorization enabled, and the reflect/reflect2/java_method functions are accessible without explicit blacklist restrictions in the Sentry policy configuration.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to Apache Sentry 1.7.0 or later which implements proper blacklist filtering for these dangerous functions; additionally, restrict database/warehouse permissions for untrusted users until the upgrade is completed.

Fix this in Sentry Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2016-0760 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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