Summary
Apache Pulsar: Improper Authorization For Namespace and Topic Management Endpoints
This vulnerability allows authenticated users with produce or consume permissions to perform unauthorized operations on partitioned topics, such as unloading topics and triggering compaction. These management operations should be restricted to users with the tenant admin role or superuser role. An authenticated user with produce permission can create subscriptions and update subscription properties on partitioned topics, even though this should be limited to users with consume permissions. This impact analysis assumes that Pulsar has been configured with the default authorization provider. For custom authorization providers, the impact could be slightly different. Additionally, the vulnerability allows an authenticated user to read, create, modify, and delete namespace properties in any namespace in any tenant. In Pulsar, namespace properties are reserved for user provided metadata about the namespace.
This issue affects Apache Pulsar versions from 2.7.1 to 2.10.6, from 2.11.0 to 2.11.4, from 3.0.0 to 3.0.3, from 3.1.0 to 3.1.3, and from 3.2.0 to 3.2.1.
3.0 Apache Pulsar users should upgrade to at least 3.0.4.
3.1 and 3.2 Apache Pulsar users should upgrade to at least 3.2.2.
Users operating versions prior to those listed above should upgrade to the aforementioned patched versions or newer versions.
Impact
The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions. Typical impact: unauthorized data access or execution of privileged operations.
CVE-2024-29834 has a CVSS score of 6.4 (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 (3.0.4, 3.2.2); 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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org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker to 3.0.4 or later; org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker to 3.2.2 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-29834? CVE-2024-29834 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker (maven), affecting versions >= 2.7.1, <= 2.10.6. It is fixed in 3.0.4, 3.2.2. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
- How severe is CVE-2024-29834? CVE-2024-29834 has a CVSS score of 6.4 (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.pulsar:pulsar-broker are affected by CVE-2024-29834? org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker (maven) versions >= 2.7.1, <= 2.10.6 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-29834? Yes. CVE-2024-29834 is fixed in 3.0.4, 3.2.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-29834 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-29834 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-2024-29834 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-2024-29834?
- Upgrade
org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-brokerto 3.0.4 or later - Upgrade
org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-brokerto 3.2.2 or later
- Upgrade