What is CVE-2020-17533?

CVE-2020-17533 is a high-severity incorrect permission assignment for critical resource vulnerability in org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (maven), affecting versions >= 1.5.0, < 1.10.1. It is fixed in 1.10.1, 2.0.1. A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended.

How severe is CVE-2020-17533?

CVE-2020-17533 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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.accumulo:accumulo-master are affected by CVE-2020-17533?

org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (maven) versions >= 1.5.0, < 1.10.1 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2020-17533?

Yes. CVE-2020-17533 is fixed in 1.10.1, 2.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2020-17533 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-17533 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-2020-17533 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-2020-17533

Q: How severe is CVE-2020-17533?

CVE-2020-17533 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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.

Q: Which versions of org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master are affected by CVE-2020-17533?

org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (maven) versions >= 1.5.0, < 1.10.1 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2020-17533?

Yes. CVE-2020-17533 is fixed in 1.10.1, 2.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2020-17533 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2020-17533 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2020-17533 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2020-17533?

Upgrade: org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master to 1.10.1 or later, org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master to 2.0.1 or later.

Summary

Improper privilege handling in Apache Accumulo

Apache Accumulo versions 1.5.0 through 1.10.0 and version 2.0.0 do not properly check the return value of some policy enforcement functions before permitting an authenticated user to perform certain administrative operations. Specifically, the return values of the 'canFlush' and 'canPerformSystemActions' security functions are not checked in some instances, therefore allowing an authenticated user with insufficient permissions to perform the following actions: flushing a table, shutting down Accumulo or an individual tablet server, and setting or removing system-wide Accumulo configuration properties.

Impact

A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended. Typical impact: unauthorized read, modification, or execution of the resource.

CVE-2020-17533 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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 (1.10.1, 2.0.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (>= 1.5.0, < 1.10.1) org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (= 2.0.0)

Security releases

org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master → 1.10.1 (maven) org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master → 2.0.1 (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 the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master to 1.10.1 or later; org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master to 2.0.1 or later

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-17533? CVE-2020-17533 is a high-severity incorrect permission assignment for critical resource vulnerability in org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (maven), affecting versions >= 1.5.0, < 1.10.1. It is fixed in 1.10.1, 2.0.1. A file, directory, or other resource is assigned permissions that allow broader access than intended.
How severe is CVE-2020-17533? CVE-2020-17533 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). 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.accumulo:accumulo-master are affected by CVE-2020-17533? org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master (maven) versions >= 1.5.0, < 1.10.1 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2020-17533? Yes. CVE-2020-17533 is fixed in 1.10.1, 2.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2020-17533 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-17533 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-2020-17533 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-2020-17533?
- Upgrade org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master to 1.10.1 or later
- Upgrade org.apache.accumulo:accumulo-master to 2.0.1 or later