Summary
Apache Solr allows read access to host environmet variables
Full technical description
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Solr.
The Solr Metrics API publishes all unprotected environment variables available to each Apache Solr instance. Users are able to specify which environment variables to hide, however, the default list is designed to work for known secret Java system properties. Environment variables cannot be strictly defined in Solr, like Java system properties can be, and may be set for the entire host, unlike Java system properties which are set per-Java-proccess.
The Solr Metrics API is protected by the "metrics-read" permission. Therefore, Solr Clouds with Authorization setup will only be vulnerable via users with the "metrics-read" permission.
This issue affects Apache Solr: from 9.0.0 before 9.3.0.
Users are recommended to upgrade to version 9.3.0 or later, in which environment variables are not published via the Metrics API.
Impact
CVE-2023-50290 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (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 (9.3.0); 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-2023-50290? CVE-2023-50290 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.apache.solr:solr-core (maven), affecting versions >= 9.0.0, < 9.3.0. It is fixed in 9.3.0.
- How severe is CVE-2023-50290? CVE-2023-50290 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (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.solr:solr-core are affected by CVE-2023-50290? org.apache.solr:solr-core (maven) versions >= 9.0.0, < 9.3.0 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-50290? Yes. CVE-2023-50290 is fixed in 9.3.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-50290 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-50290 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-2023-50290 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-2023-50290? Upgrade
org.apache.solr:solr-coreto 9.3.0 or later.