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SparkApplication · Apache

CVE-2018-11804

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2018-10-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.2.3 / 2.3.3 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Spark's Apache Maven-based build includes a convenience script, 'build/mvn', that downloads and runs a zinc server to speed up compilation. It has been included in release branches since 1.3.x, up to and including master. This server will accept connections from external hosts by default. A specially-crafted request to the zinc server could cause it to reveal information in files readable to the developer account running the build. Note that this issue does not affect end users of Spark, only developers building Spark from source code.

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 Spark's build system includes a 'build/mvn' script that downloads and runs a zinc compilation server to speed up builds. This zinc server accepts connections from external hosts by default, allowing remote attackers to send specially-crafted requests that can read files accessible to the developer account running the build process.

MitigationConfigure the zinc server to bind only to localhost (127.0.0.1) or restrict access via firewall rules to prevent external connections. Developers should also ensure builds are not run with unnecessary file system permissions.

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
SparkApplication
Affected:>= 1.3.0, < 2.2.3>= 2.3.0, < 2.3.3

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify Apache Spark version
    Run 'spark-submit --version' or check the spark-version file in the installation directory to determine the exact version number
    Affected if The installed version falls within >= 1.3.0 and < 2.2.3, or >= 2.3.0 and < 2.3.3
  2. Locate the build/mvn script
    Search for the 'build/mvn' or 'build/mvn' script within the Spark installation directory structure
    Affected if The build/mvn script exists, indicating the build system with zinc server is present
  3. Check zinc server binding configuration
    Inspect the build/mvn script or any zinc-related configuration files to determine what address the zinc server binds to (default behavior binds to 0.0.0.0 or all interfaces)
    Affected if The zinc server is configured to listen on 0.0.0.0 or an external IP address rather than only 127.0.0.1
  4. Verify network exposure of zinc port
    Check which port zinc compiles on (default port 3030) and whether it is exposed to external hosts via 'netstat -tlnp' or 'ss -tlnp' while the build system may be running
    Affected if The zinc server port is listening on a non-localhost address and is accessible from external network segments

A user is affected if they run Apache Spark versions 1.3.0 through 2.2.2 or 2.3.0 through 2.3.2 and have used the build/mvn script with the zinc server accessible to external hosts.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.2.3 / 2.3.3 or later
Fixed in 2.2.32.3.3
Interim mitigation

Configure the zinc server to bind only to localhost (127.0.0.1) or restrict access via firewall rules to prevent external connections. Developers should also ensure builds are not run with unnecessary file system permissions.

Fix this in Spark Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

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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-2018-11804 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data