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CassandraApplication · Apache

CVE-2018-8016

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2018-06-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 3.11.1 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
The default configuration in Apache Cassandra 3.8 through 3.11.1 binds an unauthenticated JMX/RMI interface to all network interfaces, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via an RMI request. This issue is a regression of CVE-2015-0225. The regression was introduced in https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CASSANDRA-12109. The fix for the regression is implemented in https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CASSANDRA-14173. This fix is contained in the 3.11.2 release of Apache Cassandra.

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

The default configuration in Apache Cassandra 3.8 through 3.11.1 binds an unauthenticated JMX/RMI interface to all network interfaces, enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via RMI requests without any authentication. This is a regression of CVE-2015-0225.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache Cassandra 3.11.2 or later, or alternatively configure JMX/RMI to bind only to localhost and/or enable JMX authentication to prevent unauthenticated remote access.

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
CassandraApplication
Affected:>= 3.8, <= 3.11.1

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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. Determine installed Apache Cassandra version
    Run 'cassandra -v' or check the version file in the Cassandra installation directory, or query the Cassandra daemon via 'nodetool version'
    Affected if The version is 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, or 3.11.0 through 3.11.1 (any version from 3.8 through 3.11.1 inclusive)
  2. Locate JMX/RMI configuration
    Examine the cassandra-env.sh or cassandra.yaml configuration file in the Cassandra installation directory for JMX listener settings
    Affected if Configuration file exists and JMX settings are present
  3. Check if JMX binds to all network interfaces
    In cassandra-env.sh, look for JVM options like '-Djava.rmi.server.hostname' and the JMX port configuration, or check if 'local_jmx' is not set to 'true' in cassandra.yaml. Also verify the listen_address or rpc_address is not set to localhost only
    Affected if JMX/RMI is configured to accept connections from any network interface (0.0.0.0) or the bind address is not restricted to localhost
  4. Verify JMX authentication status
    In cassandra.yaml, check the 'authenticator' setting. For JMX, also verify if the 'jmx_authenticator' or equivalent authentication is configured in cassandra-env.sh
    Affected if JMX authentication is disabled or not configured (authenticator set to 'AllowAllAuthenticator' or no JMX user credentials defined)

You are affected if your Cassandra version is between 3.8 and 3.11.1 inclusive AND the JMX/RMI interface is accessible remotely without authentication (bound to non-localhost and authentication is disabled).

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 3.11.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache Cassandra 3.11.2 or later, or alternatively configure JMX/RMI to bind only to localhost and/or enable JMX authentication to prevent unauthenticated remote access.

Recommended fix High confidence

3.11.2

  1. 1. Back up all Cassandra data and configuration files (cassandra.yaml, cassandra-env.sh, etc.)
  2. 2. Stop the Cassandra service on all nodes in the cluster
  3. 3. Download Apache Cassandra 3.11.2 from the official Apache Cassandra downloads page (https://cassandra.apache.org/)
  4. 4. Install or unpack Cassandra 3.11.2 to the target directory
  5. 5. Restore your backed-up configuration files to the new installation
  6. 6. Review cassandra.yaml to ensure the JMX/RMI configuration is secure (look for 'rpc_address', 'listen_address', and JMX authentication settings)
  7. 7. Start the Cassandra service and verify it joins the cluster successfully
  8. 8. Monitor logs for any errors during startup
Caveat Review Apache Cassandra 3.11.2 release notes for any behavior changes; minor version upgrades are generally backward-compatible but testing in staging is recommended

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Cassandra 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
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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-2018-8016 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