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CassandraApplication · Apache

CVE-2023-30601

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-05-30
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.0.10 / 4.1.2 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Privilege escalation when enabling FQL/Audit logs allows user with JMX access to run arbitrary commands as the user running Apache Cassandra This issue affects Apache Cassandra: from 4.0.0 through 4.0.9, from 4.1.0 through 4.1.1. WORKAROUND The vulnerability requires nodetool/JMX access to be exploitable, disable access for any non-trusted users. MITIGATION Upgrade to 4.0.10 or 4.1.2 and leave the new FQL/Auditlog configuration property allow_nodetool_archive_command as false.

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 Cassandra versions 4.0.0-4.0.9 and 4.1.0-4.1.1 contain a privilege escalation vulnerability where users with JMX/nodetool access can execute arbitrary commands on the host system by leveraging the FQL/Auditlog functionality, running commands as the Cassandra system user.

MitigationUpgrade to Cassandra 4.0.10 or 4.1.2 and ensure the new `allow_nodetool_archive_command` configuration property is set to false, or restrict JMX/nodetool access to trusted users only.

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:>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.10>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/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 checks

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

  1. Identify installed Cassandra version
    Run `nodetool version` or check the version from Cassandra's startup logs, or query `SELECT * FROM system.local` via cqlsh
    Affected if Version is 4.0.0 through 4.0.9, or 4.1.0 through 4.1.1
  2. Verify JMX access is enabled
    Check cassandra.yaml for JMX configuration: look for `jmx端口` (typically 7199) and any authentication settings under the `jmx` section. Also check if JMX is bound to a network interface accessible from outside.
    Affected if JMX is accessible without proper restriction or with weak authentication
  3. Check if Full Query Logging (FQL) is enabled
    Inspect cassandra.yaml for the `full_query_logging_options` section. If present and configured with paths under `fs_dir`, FQL is enabled.
    Affected if FQL is enabled with a valid directory path configured
  4. Check if Audit Logging is enabled
    Inspect cassandra.yaml for the `audit_logging_options` section. Look for `classes` and `class_name` settings indicating audit logging is active.
    Affected if Audit logging is configured and enabled in cassandra.yaml
  5. Confirm nodetool is executable by untrusted users
    Verify permissions on the nodetool script and confirm untrusted users have execute access. Check which users can run nodetool via OS-level permissions.
    Affected if Users with limited or untrusted access can execute nodetool commands

You are affected if your Cassandra version falls within 4.0.0-4.0.9 or 4.1.0-4.1.1 AND JMX/nodetool access is available to untrusted users AND either FQL or Audit Logging is enabled.

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 4.0.10 / 4.1.2 or later
Fixed in 4.0.104.1.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Cassandra 4.0.10 or 4.1.2 and ensure the new `allow_nodetool_archive_command` configuration property is set to false, or restrict JMX/nodetool access to trusted users only.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Apache Cassandra 4.0.10 or 4.1.2 (or later stable releases)

  1. Plan and schedule a maintenance window for the Cassandra upgrade
  2. Take a full backup of your Cassandra data and configuration files
  3. Upgrade Apache Cassandra from 4.0.0-4.0.9 to version 4.0.10, or from 4.1.0-4.1.1 to version 4.1.2 (or later stable release if available)
  4. After upgrading, verify that the configuration property `allow_nodetool_archive_command` is set to `false` in the cassandra.yaml configuration file (this is the default secure setting in fixed versions)
  5. Restart Cassandra nodes after upgrade
  6. Verify the upgrade was successful and test that FQL/Audit logging functionality works correctly
  7. As a defense-in-depth measure, ensure JMX/nodetool access is restricted to only trusted administrators
Caveat Standard Cassandra upgrade risks apply - review release notes for any configuration or behavior changes between your current version and the target version

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

Fix this in Cassandra Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2023-30601 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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