# CVE-2020-9480: Improper Authentication in Apache Spark

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2020-9480-improper-authentication-in-apache-spark  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2020-06-23  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2020-9480 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2020-06-23

In Apache Spark 2.4.5 and earlier, a standalone resource manager's master may be configured to require authentication (spark.authenticate) via a shared secret. When enabled, however, a specially-crafted RPC to the master can succeed in starting an application's resources on the Spark cluster, even without the shared key. This can be leveraged to execute shell commands on the host machine. This does not affect Spark clusters using other resource managers (YARN, Mesos, etc).

Technologies: [pyspark (PyPI)](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/pyspark). Vendors: [Maven](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/maven), [PyPI](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/pypi).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2020-9480 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2020-9480 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2020-9480?** Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 23 June 2020.

**Which products and versions are affected?** org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.4.6; pyspark (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.4.6.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2020-9480?** Yes. org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 (Maven): upgrade to 2.4.6 or later; pyspark (PyPI): upgrade to 2.4.6 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**Am I affected by CVE-2020-9480?** Check whether you run org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 (Maven) or pyspark (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 (Maven): upgrade to 2.4.6 or later

  ```sh
  # set org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 to 2.4.6 in your pom.xml or build.gradle
  ```

- pyspark (PyPI): upgrade to 2.4.6 or later

  ```sh
  pip install "pyspark>=2.4.6"
  ```


## Affected products

- org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 (Maven) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.4.6
- pyspark (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=0,fixed=2.4.6

## Identifiers

- CVE-2020-9480
- GHSA-wgx7-jwwm-cgjv
- PYSEC-2020-95

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- [Apache Spark UI vulnerable to Command Injection](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2023-32007-apache-spark-ui-vulnerable-to-command-injection)
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- [Apache Spark vulnerable to Log Injection](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2022-31777-apache-spark-vulnerable-to-log-injection)