RangerApplication · Apache
CVE-2018-11778
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 · uneditedUnixAuthenticationService in Apache Ranger 1.2.0 was updated to correctly handle user input to avoid Stack-based buffer overflow. Versions prior to 1.2.0 should be upgraded to 1.2.0
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 confidenceA stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the UnixAuthenticationService component of Apache Ranger versions prior to 1.2.0. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of user input within the authentication service, allowing potential remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via crafted input.
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
RangerApplication
< 1.2.0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Apache Ranger installationLocate the Ranger installation directory and check for ranger-admin or related Ranger processes running on the system. Common paths include /usr/bin/ranger, /opt/ranger, or check running processes with 'ps aux | grep ranger'.Affected if Apache Ranger is not installed or no Ranger processes are found on the system, the vulnerability does not apply.
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Determine installed Apache Ranger versionCheck the Ranger version by examining the version file in the installation directory, typically found as VERSION or version.txt in the Ranger home directory, or run 'ranger-admin --version' if available.Affected if The installed version is any version prior to 1.2.0 (e.g., 1.0.0, 1.1.0, etc.). Versions below 1.2.0 are affected.
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Identify if UnixAuthenticationService is configuredExamine the Ranger configuration files (typically in conf/ or etc/ranger/) for unix authentication settings. Look for properties referencing 'unixAuthenticationService' or 'unixauth' in ranger-admin-site.xml or equivalent configuration files.Affected if UnixAuthenticationService is explicitly enabled or configured in the Ranger authentication settings.
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Check authentication service logs for anomaliesReview Ranger admin logs in the logs/ directory for any unusual authentication errors, segfaults, or buffer overflow indicators related to Unix authentication, particularly around the UnixAuthenticationService component.Affected if Logs show authentication failures or crashes originating from the UnixAuthenticationService component.
A user is affected if Apache Ranger version is below 1.2.0 AND UnixAuthenticationService is enabled or configured as an authentication mechanism.
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 data1.2.0
Upgrade Apache Ranger to version 1.2.0 or later to address the improper input handling in UnixAuthenticationService.
Fix this in Ranger
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $5,312.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11778 — 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-2018-11778 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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