CVE-2022-33891
The Apache Spark UI offers the possibility to enable ACLs via the configuration option spark.acls.enable. With an authentication filter, this checks whether a user has access permissions to view or modify the application. If ACLs are enabled, a code path in HttpSecurityFilter can allow someone to perform impersonation by providing an arbitrary user name. A malicious user might then be able to reach a permission check function that will ultimately build a Unix shell command based on their input, and execute it. This will result in arbitrary shell command execution as the user Spark is currently running as. This affects Apache Spark versions 3.0.3 and earlier, versions 3.1.1 to 3.1.2, and versions 3.2.0 to 3.2.1.
- CVSS
- 8.8Highscored by CISA
- Exploited in the wild
- Yes, in CISA KEV since 7 Mar 2023CISA deadline for US federal agencies: 28 Mar 2023public exploit code
- EPSS
- 93.2%chance of exploitation in the next 30 daystop 0.2% of scored CVEsFIRST score of 11 Nov 2026
- Fix
- Not stated by the vendorno fixed release in the CVE record
- Published
- 18 Jul 2022analysed here 12 Nov 2026
Do first. Apply updates per vendor instructions. (CISA's required action for this KEV entry)
Summary
Triage
The summary, impact and action text on this page are written by our AI analysis pipeline, or taken from the NVD description when a CVE was imported from NVD. They are not the vendor's wording: check them against the sources. A longer AI executive summary and technical analysis are generated for signed-in accounts on the Max plan.
Affected products
| Product | Affected versions | Vendor says fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation Apache Spark | >= 3.0.3 and earlier and <= 3.0.3>= 3.1.1 to 3.1.2 and <= 3.1.2>= 3.2.0 to 3.2.1 and <= 3.2.1Vendor says fixed in: not stated |
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.
Products named in our analysis
- apache:spark
Fix and mitigation
WAF and other mitigations
Can a WAF block it? Partly. OS command injection puts shell syntax into the request. WAF rules catch common shell commands but miss encoded or unusual payloads.
Also consider: shlex/execve-style APIs
Based on the weakness type only; no CVE-specific evidence yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.
Remediation steps (AI-written)
Step-by-step remediation is generated for accounts on the Max plan, for CVEs that match a technology in their stack. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
Exploitation evidence
- CISA KEV catalog
- Listed since 7 Mar 2023.
- CISA due date
- 28 Mar 2023, the remediation deadline for US federal agencies
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- Public exploit code
- Yes: 1 Metasploit module · 10 GitHub proofs of concept · 1 Nuclei template
- CISA SSVC
- exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact totalAssessed by CISA 4 Feb 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3). Exploitation is none, poc (public proof of concept) or active.
Metasploit
- exploit/linux/http/apache_spark_rce_cve_2022_33891exploit, rank excellent
Nuclei
- Apache Spark UI - Remote Command Injectiondetection template, high
GitHub proofs of concept
- HuskyHacks/cve-2022-3389188 stars
- W01fh4cker/cve-2022-3389151 stars
- AmoloHT/CVE-2022-3389124 stars
- AkbarTrilaksana/cve-2022-338913 stars
and 6 more repositories
Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.
Timeline
- 18 Jul 2022First public exploit or proof of concept
- 18 Jul 2022Publishedsame day later
- 7 Mar 2023Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild)232 days (about 8 months) later
- 28 Mar 2023CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies)21 days later
- 4 Feb 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active680 days (about 2 years) later
- 21 Oct 2025CVE record last updated259 days (about 9 months) later
- 12 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com387 days (about 1 year) later
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
| Metric | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Attack vector | NetworkReachable over the internet or any routable network. | Reachable over the internet or any routable network. |
| Attack complexity | LowRepeatable attack, no special conditions. | Repeatable attack, no special conditions. |
| Privileges required | LowThe attacker needs basic user privileges. | The attacker needs basic user privileges. |
| User interaction | NoneNo victim action needed. | No victim action needed. |
| Scope | UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component. | Impact stays within the vulnerable component. |
| Confidentiality | HighTotal data disclosure possible. | Total data disclosure possible. |
| Integrity | HighComplete modification possible. | Complete modification possible. |
| Availability | HighFull outage possible. | Full outage possible. |
Common questions
Is CVE-2022-33891 being exploited?
Yes. CVE-2022-33891 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.
How severe is CVE-2022-33891?
CVE-2022-33891 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2022-33891?
Not known from our data. No patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2022-33891, which is not the same as no patch existing — a fix may have shipped without a tagged reference, or after this record was written. The vendor advisory is the only authority on whether a fix exists, and mitigations may be available regardless.
What does CVE-2022-33891 affect?
CVE-2022-33891 affects apache:spark. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
References
4 references in the CVE record, grouped by the tags the record gives them.
Other links (4)
- lists.apache.org /thread/p847l3kopoo5bjtmxrcwk21xp6tjxqlc
- packetstormsecurity.com /files/168309/Apache-Spark-Unauthenticated-Command-Injection.html
- openwall.com /lists/oss-security/2023/05/02/1
- cisa.gov /known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-33891
Also tracked as GHSA-4x9r-j582-cgr8, PYSEC-2022-236 (OSV).
Where the data on this page comes from
- CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
- NVD: CVSS and CPE data
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
- CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
- FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
- Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
- Nuclei templates: detection templates
- PoC-in-GitHub: GitHub repositories that claim a proof of concept
- OSV: advisory aliases and downstream package versions
Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.
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