MesosApplication · Apache
CVE-2018-8023
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 Mesos can be configured to require authentication to call the Executor HTTP API using JSON Web Token (JWT). In Apache Mesos versions pre-1.4.2, 1.5.0, 1.5.1, 1.6.0 the comparison of the generated HMAC value against the provided signature in the JWT implementation used is vulnerable to a timing attack because instead of a constant-time string comparison routine a standard `==` operator has been used. A malicious actor can therefore abuse the timing difference of when the JWT validation function returns to reveal the correct HMAC value.
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 Mesos uses JWT for Executor HTTP API authentication. The JWT signature validation in affected versions uses the standard `==` operator for HMAC comparison instead of constant-time comparison, enabling timing attacks to leak the correct HMAC value and bypass authentication.
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
MesosApplication
< 1.4.2= 1.5.0= 1.5.1= 1.6.0CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/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 Mesos installation and versionRun `mesos --version` or check the package manager (e.g., `dpkg -l mesos`, `rpm -qi mesos`) to determine the installed Mesos versionAffected if The installed version matches < 1.4.2, 1.5.0, 1.5.1, or 1.6.0
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Confirm JWT authentication is in useInspect Mesos configuration files (typically in /etc/mesos or specified via --flags) for JWT-related flags such as `--jwt_secret`, `--authentication`, or review the Executor HTTP API configuration for authentication module settingsAffected if JWT-based authentication is enabled for the Executor HTTP API, as this is the feature that uses the vulnerable HMAC validation code
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Check for timing attack exposureReview the Mesos logs or configuration to confirm the Executor HTTP API endpoint is accessible over the network (listen addresses, --ip, --port settings)Affected if The Executor HTTP API is network-accessible and JWT authentication is in use with an affected Mesos version, allowing potential timing attack exploitation
You are affected if you are running Apache Mesos versions 1.5.0, 1.5.1, or 1.6.0, or any version prior to 1.4.2, AND you have JWT-based authentication enabled for the Executor HTTP API.
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 data1.4.2
Upgrade to Apache Mesos 1.4.2, 1.6.1, or later versions which implement constant-time comparison for JWT HMAC validation.
Fix this in Mesos
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-8023 — 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-2018-8023 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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