dbcve.org
CassandraApplication · Apache

CVE-2024-27137

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.0.15 / 4.1.8 or later.
See remediation →
56/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges

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 Apache Cassandra it is possible for a local attacker without access to the Apache Cassandra process or configuration files to manipulate the RMI registry to perform a man-in-the-middle attack and capture user names and passwords used to access the JMX interface. The attacker can then use these credentials to access the JMX interface and perform unauthorized operations. This is same vulnerability that CVE-2020-13946 was issued for, but the Java option was changed in JDK10. This issue affects Apache Cassandra from 4.0.2 through 5.0.2 running Java 11. Operators are recommended to upgrade to a release equal to or later than 4.0.15, 4.1.8, or 5.0.3 which fixes the issue.

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

Local attacker manipulates the RMI registry to perform man-in-the-middle attack on JMX authentication in Apache Cassandra, capturing usernames and passwords. Affects versions 4.0.2 through 5.0.2 running Java 11. This is a regression of CVE-2020-13946 where the Java option was changed in JDK10.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Cassandra to version 4.0.15, 4.1.8, 5.0.3 or later to obtain the security fix.

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:>= 4.0.2, < 4.0.15>= 4.1.0, < 4.1.8> 5.0.0, < 5.0.3= 5.0.0

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
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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. Check installed Apache Cassandra version
    Run `cassandra -v` or examine the version file in the Cassandra installation directory, or query `SELECT * FROM system.local` via cqlsh and check the 'cql_version' or 'cassandra_version' fields
    Affected if Version is >= 4.0.2 and < 4.0.15, OR >= 4.1.0 and < 4.1.8, OR > 5.0.0 and < 5.0.3, OR equals 5.0.0
  2. Check Java version in use by Cassandra
    Run `java -version` from the same user running Cassandra, or check the JAVA_HOME environment variable, or examine the Java version in cassandra-env.sh or the startup scripts
    Affected if Java 11 is in use (the vulnerability affects systems running Java 11)
  3. Verify if JMX is enabled and accessible
    Check the cassandra-env.sh or jvm.options files for JMX configuration, look for flags like `-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote` and verify if JMX listens on a network interface other than localhost. Also check if port 7199 (default JMX port) is listening on a non-localhost address using `netstat -tlnp` or `ss -tlnp`
    Affected if JMX is enabled and bound to a network interface accessible from untrusted networks (not bound to 127.0.0.1 only)

The environment is affected if Apache Cassandra version falls within the vulnerable ranges (4.0.2-4.0.14, 4.1.0-4.1.7, 5.0.0-5.0.2) AND Java 11 is in use AND JMX with RMI is exposed over the network.

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 4.0.15 / 4.1.8 / 5.0.3 or later
Fixed in 4.0.154.1.85.0.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache Cassandra to version 4.0.15, 4.1.8, 5.0.3 or later to obtain the security fix.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.0.15, 4.1.8, or 5.0.3 (or later)

  1. Review the release notes for your target version (4.0.15, 4.1.8, or 5.0.3 or later) to understand any changes
  2. Backup your Cassandra data and configuration files
  3. Stop the Cassandra service
  4. Install the new Cassandra version (4.0.15+, 4.1.8+, or 5.0.3+)
  5. Verify the cassandra.yaml configuration is compatible
  6. Start the Cassandra service
  7. Verify the JMX interface is accessible and the fix is applied by testing JMX authentication
Caveat Review release notes for breaking changes between your current version and target version

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

Fix this in Cassandra Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
32.0 hours of engineering $5,680
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2024-27137 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