CVE-2025-24860

Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in Apache Cassandra allowing users to access a datacenter or IP/CIDR groups they should not be able to when using CassandraNetworkAuthorizer or CassandraCIDRAuthorizer.

Users with restricted data center access can update their own permissions via data control language (DCL) statements on affected versions.

This issue affects Apache Cassandra: from 4.0.0 through 4.0.15 and from 4.1.0 through 4.1.7 for CassandraNetworkAuthorizer, and from 5.0.0 through 5.0.2 for both CassandraNetworkAuthorizer and CassandraCIDRAuthorizer.

Operators using CassandraNetworkAuthorizer or CassandraCIDRAuthorizer on affected versions should review data access rules for potential breaches. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.0.16, 4.1.8, 5.0.3, which fixes the issue.

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-2025-24860 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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 (4.0.16, 4.1.8, 5.0.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2025-24860? CVE-2025-24860 is a medium-severity incorrect authorization vulnerability in org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (maven), affecting versions >= 4.0-alpha1, < 4.0.16. It is fixed in 4.0.16, 4.1.8, 5.0.3. The application does not correctly enforce access controls, allowing a principal to access resources or operations beyond their granted permissions.
2. How severe is CVE-2025-24860? CVE-2025-24860 has a CVSS score of 5.4 (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.
3. Which versions of org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all are affected by CVE-2025-24860? org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all (maven) versions >= 4.0-alpha1, < 4.0.16 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-24860? Yes. CVE-2025-24860 is fixed in 4.0.16, 4.1.8, 5.0.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2025-24860 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-24860 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2025-24860 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2025-24860?
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 4.0.16 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 4.1.8 or later
   • Upgrade org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 5.0.3 or later