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HbaseApplication · Apache

CVE-2019-0212

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-03-28
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.1.3 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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
In all previously released Apache HBase 2.x versions (2.0.0-2.0.4, 2.1.0-2.1.3), authorization was incorrectly applied to users of the HBase REST server. Requests sent to the HBase REST server were executed with the permissions of the REST server itself, not with the permissions of the end-user. This issue is only relevant when HBase is configured with Kerberos authentication, HBase authorization is enabled, and the REST server is configured with SPNEGO authentication. This issue does not extend beyond the HBase REST server.

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 HBase REST server executes API requests with its own elevated permissions rather than authenticating the end-user through SPNEGO and applying their specific Kerberos-based authorization. This allows authenticated users to bypass authorization checks and potentially perform operations using the REST server's privileges instead of their own limited permissions.

MitigationUpgrade HBase to version 2.0.5, 2.1.4, or later where the REST server properly authenticates end-users via SPNEGO and enforces authorization based on the authenticated user's permissions rather than the service's 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
HbaseApplication
Affected:>= 2.0.0, <= 2.0.4>= 2.1.0, <= 2.1.3

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

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/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 if HBase REST server is running
    Check for the HBase REST server process or its default port (typically 8080 or 8085). Use commands like 'ps aux | grep rest' or 'netstat -tlnp | grep 8080' to locate the process.
    Affected if The HBase REST server is running and accessible on your network.
  2. Determine installed HBase version
    Run 'hbase version' or check the HBase JAR file name in the installation directory. Compare the version number to the affected ranges: 2.0.0 through 2.0.4, or 2.1.0 through 2.1.3.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 2.0.0-2.0.4 or 2.1.0-2.1.3.
  3. Check if SPNEGO authentication is configured for REST server
    Inspect the HBase REST server configuration (typically in hbase-site.xml or REST-specific config files) for properties related to 'spnego' or 'kerberos' authentication. Look for REST server authentication settings.
    Affected if SPNEGO authentication is not explicitly configured for the REST server, or the configuration allows requests to execute with service-level privileges.
  4. Verify REST server is using service credentials instead of user credentials
    When authenticated via Kerberos, make an API request to the REST server and inspect whether the operation executes with the REST service's permissions rather than the authenticated user's permissions. Check logs for the identity used during request execution.
    Affected if Operations execute with the REST server's elevated permissions rather than the end-user's delegated Kerberos credentials.

You are affected if the HBase REST server is running on a version between 2.0.0-2.0.4 or 2.1.0-2.1.3 and requests execute with service privileges instead of user-delegated credentials.

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 a release after 2.1.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade HBase to version 2.0.5, 2.1.4, or later where the REST server properly authenticates end-users via SPNEGO and enforces authorization based on the authenticated user's permissions rather than the service's permissions.

Fix this in Hbase Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,080
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,328.

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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-2019-0212 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data