Read the docs
TI-2023-11265 Aliases CVE-2023-26031GHSA-94jh-j374-9r3j

Privilege escalation in Apache Hadoop Yarn container-executor binary on Linux systems

Priority LOW 39CWE-426Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
High
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-426.

Summary

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.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.02089 81st percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Apache Hadoop (Apache Software Foundation): 3.3.5org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project (Maven): 3.3.5Red Hat: 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Total

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
ApacheApache Hadoop3.3.1 to before 3.3.53.3.5Patch availableCNA
—org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project (Maven)3.3.1 to before 3.3.53.3.5Patch availableGHSA-94jh-j374-9r3j
  • Apache Hadoop VendorApache Affected 3.3.1 to before 3.3.5 Fixed in 3.3.5 Patch available CNA
  • org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project (Maven) Vendor— Affected 3.3.1 to before 3.3.5 Fixed in 3.3.5 Patch available GHSA-94jh-j374-9r3j

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:apache:hadoop:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*3.3.1 – 3.3.4VulnerableApache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:hadoop:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.3.1 – 3.3.4 Vulnerable ·Apache

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Apache Hadoop (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 3.3.5
  • Fix · GHSA-94jh-j374-9r3j org.apache.hadoop:hadoop-yarn-project (Maven) Fixed in 3.3.5 Advisory →

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Integration Camel K 1AffectedNo fix yet: Fix deferred
Red Hat JBoss Fuse 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4AffectedNo fix planned: Will not fix
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Fuse 7

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-26031
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-94jh-j374-9r3j

References

  • TI-2019-12818 Connect2id Nimbus JOSE+JWT before v7.9 can throw various uncaught exceptions while… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2022-09898 Arbitrary file write in FileUtil#unpackEntries on Windows CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2022-08881 Command injection in org.apache.hadoop.fs.FileUtil.unTarUsingTar CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2021-15353 Heap buffer overflow in libhdfs native library CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2018-05786 Path traversal in Apache Hadoop CVSS 3.0HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2017-11489 Information disclosure in Apache Hadoop CVSS 3.0CRITICAL 9.8
See all 36 →

Sources