How severe is CVE-2017-5646?

CVE-2017-5646 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Is there a fix for CVE-2017-5646?

Yes. CVE-2017-5646 is fixed in 0.12.0. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2017-5646 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2017-5646 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2017-5646 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2017-5646

Q: What is CVE-2017-5646?

CVE-2017-5646 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common (maven), affecting versions >= 0.2.0, < 0.12.0. It is fixed in 0.12.0.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2017-5646?

Upgrade org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common to 0.12.0 or later.

Summary

Apache Knox allows impersonation of users

For versions of Apache Knox from 0.2.0 to 0.11.0 - an authenticated user may use a specially crafted URL to impersonate another user while accessing WebHDFS through Apache Knox. This may result in escalated privileges and unauthorized data access. While this activity is audit logged and can be easily associated with the authenticated user, this is still a serious security issue. All users are recommended to upgrade to the Apache Knox 0.12.0 release.

Impact

CVE-2017-5646 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (0.12.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common (>= 0.2.0, < 0.12.0)

Security releases

org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common → 0.12.0 (maven)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common to 0.12.0 or later to resolve this vulnerability.

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-5646? CVE-2017-5646 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common (maven), affecting versions >= 0.2.0, < 0.12.0. It is fixed in 0.12.0.
How severe is CVE-2017-5646? CVE-2017-5646 has a CVSS score of 6.8 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common are affected by CVE-2017-5646? org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common (maven) versions >= 0.2.0, < 0.12.0 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2017-5646? Yes. CVE-2017-5646 is fixed in 0.12.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2017-5646 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2017-5646 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2017-5646 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2017-5646? Upgrade org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common to 0.12.0 or later.