MEDIUM CVSS 5.9
Published: 2022-09-23

CVE-2022-33681

apache pulsar Security Advisory (CVE-2022-33681)
โ†— Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2022-33681 impacting apache pulsar. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 5.9 (MEDIUM).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Delayed TLS hostname verification in the Pulsar Java Client and the Pulsar Proxy make each client vulnerable to a man in the middle attack. Connections from the Pulsar Java Client to the Pulsar Broker/Proxy and connections from the Pulsar Proxy to the Pulsar Broker are vulnerable. Authentication data is sent before verifying the serverโ€™s TLS certificate matches the hostname, which means authentication data could be exposed to an attacker. An attacker can only take advantage of this vulnerability by taking control of a machine 'between' the client and the server. The attacker must then actively manipulate traffic to perform the attack by providing the client with a cryptographically valid certificate for an unrelated host. Because the client sends authentication data before performing hostname verification, an attacker could gain access to the clientโ€™s authentication data. The client eventually closes the connection when it verifies the hostname and identifies the targeted hostname does not match a hostname on the certificate. Because the client eventually closes the connection, the value of the intercepted authentication data depends on the authentication method used by the client. Token based authentication and username/password authentication methods are vulnerable because the authentication data can be used to impersonate the client in a separate session. This issue affects Apache Pulsar Java Client versions 2.7.0 to 2.7.4; 2.8.0 to 2.8.3; 2.9.0 to 2.9.2; 2.10.0; 2.6.4 and earlier.

๐Ÿ“Š CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

๐ŸŽฏ Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product apache / pulsar
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-295

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2022-33681 impacting apache pulsar.

โšก Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2022-33681.yaml
id: cve-2022-33681

info:
  name: apache pulsar - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: medium
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2022-33681 affecting apache pulsar.
    Evaluation: Delayed TLS hostname verification in the Pulsar Java Client and the Pulsar Proxy make each client vulnerable to a man in the middle attack. Connection...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2022-33681
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 5.9
    cve-id: CVE-2022-33681
    cwe-id: CWE-295
  tags: cve,cve-2022-33681,apache,pulsar,medium

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "pulsar"
        part: body
๐Ÿ PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2022-33681.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2022-33681
# Target: apache pulsar | CVSS: 5.9 (MEDIUM)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2022-33681 (apache pulsar)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against apache pulsar scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2022-33681.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2022-33681
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install pulsar 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade pulsar 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update pulsar

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i pulsar 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i pulsar

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
โš ๏ธ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

๐Ÿ”— Verified Technical References

Authorities
  • No records filed in this category.
Distributions
  • No records filed in this category.

โ“ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2022-33681 in apache pulsar?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update apache pulsar packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2022-33681?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2022-33681?

CVE-2022-33681 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 5.9 (MEDIUM). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
5.9
MEDIUM SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2022-33681
Weakness CWE-295
Vendor apache
Product pulsar
Published 2022-09-23
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N