Summary
Apache Storm Local Information Disclosure Vulnerability in Storm-core on Unix-Like systems due temporary files
On unix-like systems, the temporary directory is shared between all user. As such, writing to this directory using APIs that do not explicitly set the file/directory permissions can lead to information disclosure. Of note, this does not impact modern MacOS Operating Systems.
The method File.createTempFile on unix-like systems creates a file with predefined name (so easily identifiable) and by default will create this file with the permissions -rw-r--r--. Thus, if sensitive information is written to this file, other local users can read this information.
File.createTempFile(String, String) will create a temporary file in the system temporary directory if the 'java.io.tmpdir' system property is not explicitly set.
This affects the class https://github.com/apache/storm/blob/master/storm-core/src/jvm/org/apache/storm/utils/TopologySpoutLag.java#L99 and was introduced by https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/STORM-3123
In practice, this has a very limited impact as this class is used only if ui.disable.spout.lag.monitoring
is set to false, but its value is true by default.
Moreover, the temporary file gets deleted soon after its creation.
The solution is to use Files.createTempFile https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/11/docs/api/java.base/java/nio/file/Files.html#createTempFile(java.lang.String,java.lang.String,java.nio.file.attribute.FileAttribute...) instead.
We recommend that all users upgrade to the latest version of Apache Storm.
Impact
CVE-2023-43123 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, 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 (2.6.0); 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-2023-43123? CVE-2023-43123 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.storm:storm-core (maven), affecting versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.6.0. It is fixed in 2.6.0.
- How severe is CVE-2023-43123? CVE-2023-43123 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (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.storm:storm-core are affected by CVE-2023-43123? org.apache.storm:storm-core (maven) versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.6.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-43123? Yes. CVE-2023-43123 is fixed in 2.6.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-43123 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-43123 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-2023-43123 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-2023-43123? Upgrade
org.apache.storm:storm-coreto 2.6.0 or later.