Summary
Apache Hadoop allows local user to gain root privileges
Relative library resolution in linux container-executor binary in Apache Hadoop 3.3.1-3.3.4 on Linux allows local user to gain root privileges. If the YARN cluster is accepting work from remote (authenticated) users, this MAY permit remote users to gain root privileges.
Hadoop 3.3.0 updated the " YARN Secure Containers https://hadoop.apache.org/docs/stable/hadoop-yarn/hadoop-yarn-site/SecureContainer.html " to add a feature for executing user-submitted applications in isolated linux containers.
The native binary HADOOP_HOME/bin/container-executor is used to launch these containers; it must be owned by root and have the suid bit set in order for the YARN processes to run the containers as the specific users submitting the jobs.
The patch " YARN-10495 https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/YARN-10495 . make the rpath of container-executor configurable" modified the library loading path for loading .so files from "$ORIGIN/" to ""$ORIGIN/:../lib/native/". This is the a path through which libcrypto.so is located. Thus it is is possible for a user with reduced privileges to install a malicious libcrypto library into a path to which they have write access, invoke the container-executor command, and have their modified library executed as root.
If the YARN cluster is accepting work from remote (authenticated) users, and these users' submitted job are executed in the physical host, rather than a container, then the CVE permits remote users to gain root privileges.
The fix for the vulnerability is to revert the change, which is done in YARN-11441 https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/YARN-11441 , "Revert YARN-10495". This patch is in hadoop-3.3.5.
To determine whether a version of container-executor is vulnerable, use the readelf command. If the RUNPATH or RPATH value contains the relative path "./lib/native/" then it is at risk
$ readelf -d container-executor|grep 'RUNPATH|RPATH'
0x000000000000001d (RUNPATH) Library runpath: [$ORIGIN/:../lib/native/]
If it does not, then it is safe:
$ readelf -d container-executor|grep 'RUNPATH|RPATH'
0x000000000000001d (RUNPATH) Library runpath: [$ORIGIN/]
For an at-risk version of container-executor to enable privilege escalation, the owner must be root and the suid bit must be set
$ ls -laF /opt/hadoop/bin/container-executor
---Sr-s---. 1 root hadoop 802968 May 9 20:21 /opt/hadoop/bin/container-executor
A safe installation lacks the suid bit; ideally is also not owned by root.
$ ls -laF /opt/hadoop/bin/container-executor
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 yarn hadoop 802968 May 9 20:21 /opt/hadoop/bin/container-executor
This configuration does not support Yarn Secure Containers, but all other hadoop services, including YARN job execution outside secure containers continue to work.
Impact
CVE-2023-26031 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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 (3.3.5); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-26031? CVE-2023-26031 is a high-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project (maven), affecting versions >= 3.3.1, < 3.3.5. It is fixed in 3.3.5.
- How severe is CVE-2023-26031? CVE-2023-26031 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (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.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project are affected by CVE-2023-26031? org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project (maven) versions >= 3.3.1, < 3.3.5 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-26031? Yes. CVE-2023-26031 is fixed in 3.3.5. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-26031 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-26031 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-2023-26031 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-2023-26031? Upgrade
org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-projectto 3.3.5 or later.