CVE-2020-13946

Man-in-the-middle attack in Apache Cassandra

In Apache Cassandra, all versions prior to 2.1.22, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8 and 4.0-beta2, 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 unauthorised operations. Users should also be aware of CVE-2019-2684, a JRE vulnerability that enables this issue to be exploited remotely.

CVE-2020-13946 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

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1. What is CVE-2020-13946? CVE-2020-13946 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (maven), affecting versions >= 2.1.0, < 2.1.12. It is fixed in 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2.
2. How severe is CVE-2020-13946? CVE-2020-13946 has a CVSS score of 5.9 (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.
3. Which versions of org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all are affected by CVE-2020-13946? org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (maven) versions >= 2.1.0, < 2.1.12 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2020-13946? Yes. CVE-2020-13946 is fixed in 2.1.12, 2.2.18, 3.0.22, 3.11.8, 4.0-beta2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2020-13946 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-13946 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2020-13946 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2020-13946?
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 2.1.12 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 2.2.18 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 3.0.22 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 3.11.8 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 4.0-beta2 or later

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