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SupersetApplication · Apache

CVE-2023-40610

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.1.2 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Improper authorization check and possible privilege escalation on Apache Superset up to but excluding 2.1.2. Using the default examples database connection that allows access to both the examples schema and Apache Superset's metadata database, an attacker using a specially crafted CTE SQL statement could change data on the metadata database. This weakness could result on tampering with the authentication/authorization data.

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 Superset versions before 2.1.2 contain an improper authorization check in the default examples database connection. This connection improperly exposes both the examples schema and the internal metadata database. An attacker with access to the examples connection can use crafted CTE (Common Table Expression) SQL statements to bypass authorization and directly modify data in Superset's metadata database, including authentication and authorization records, enabling privilege escalation.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Superset to version 2.1.2 or later. Additionally, review and restrict the examples database connection to prevent access to the metadata database, and audit existing user accounts and authorization data for signs of compromise.

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
SupersetApplication
Affected:< 2.1.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 Apache Superset version
    Run 'pip show apache-superset' or check the version via the Superset UI at /health or /api/v1/version endpoint
    Affected if The installed version is before 2.1.2
  2. Locate the examples database connection
    Access Superset UI, navigate to Settings > Database Connections, or query the metadata database for connections where connection_name or database_name contains 'examples'
    Affected if An active examples database connection exists in Superset
  3. Verify metadata database exposure
    Using a SQL client connected via the examples connection, attempt to query tables in the internal metadata database (commonly named 'superset' or 'metadata'). Run: SELECT * FROM superset.tables LIMIT 1;
    Affected if The examples connection can access and query tables in the internal metadata database
  4. Check CTE SQL execution capability
    Attempt to execute a CTE query through the examples connection that references the metadata database, such as: WITH metadata_query AS (SELECT * FROM superset.users) SELECT * FROM metadata_query
    Affected if CTE queries can bypass authorization and access the metadata database through the examples connection

A user is affected if running Apache Superset version below 2.1.2 AND the examples database connection is active AND that connection exposes the internal metadata database allowing CTE-based SQL queries to bypass authorization controls.

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 2.1.2 or later
Fixed in 2.1.2
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Superset to version 2.1.2 or later. Additionally, review and restrict the examples database connection to prevent access to the metadata database, and audit existing user accounts and authorization data for signs of compromise.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.1.2

  1. 1. Backup your current Apache Superset installation and database before proceeding with the upgrade
  2. 2. Upgrade Apache Superset to version 2.1.2 or later using your installation method (pip, docker, or package manager)
  3. 3. After upgrading, verify that the examples database connection no longer has access to the metadata database
  4. 4. Test that the authorization controls properly restrict CTE SQL statements from accessing metadata
  5. 5. Confirm normal Superset functionality including authentication and authorization work as expected

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

Fix this in Superset Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
22.0 hours of engineering $3,860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.

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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-2023-40610 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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