# Apache Knox allows impersonation of users

Advisory record · `GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv`

- **Identifiers:** `GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv` · `CVE-2017-5646`
- **State:** Confirmed
- **Severity:** CVSS 6.8 Medium
- **Critical:** No
- **Weakness (CWE):** [CWE-346](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/346.html)
- **Tags:** [CWE-346](https://agentprime.io/advisories/tag/cwe-346.md)
- **Published:** 13 May 2022
- **Updated:** 22 Apr 2025
- **Reviewed by a person:** No

Published by the GitHub Advisory Database at 13 May 2022, 01:11 UTC. agentprime has not analysed this yet, so whether it affects any app is not known.

## Affected packages

- `org.apache.knox:gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common` (Maven): affected `>=0.2.0, <0.12.0`; fixed in `0.12.0`

## Machine-written summary

Summary written by Claude Haiku from the source advisory. Not reviewed by a person.

> Apache Knox versions 0.2.0 through 0.11.0 (the gateway-provider-identity-assertion-common package) allow an authenticated user to impersonate another user when accessing WebHDFS through the gateway. An attacker needs only a valid account and a specially crafted URL, and can gain escalated privileges and unauthorized data access, though the activity is audit logged. Upgrade to Apache Knox 0.12.0, which contains the fix.

Written 7 Nov 2026.

## Not analysed yet

We haven’t published our analysis of this Advisory yet. Once a person has reviewed it, this page will say what’s vulnerable, what has to be true for your app to be affected, and how to check.

## Severity and exploitation

- 6.8 Medium, CVSS 3.1: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`, from GitHub Advisory Database

- **CISA KEV:** Not listed.
- **EPSS:** 0.0075, the 55th percentile, on 12 Nov 2026: FIRST’s estimate of the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

## Timeline

- 31 Oct 2026, 15:11 UTC: First seen by agentprime
- 31 Oct 2026, 15:11 UTC: [Confirmed by OSV](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv)

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory Database: GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv)
- [OSV: GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv)
- <https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-5646>
- <https://github.com/apache/knox/commit/998dcd257dc839c9651485760da4d614c16e2ca2>
- <https://github.com/apache/knox>
- <https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rcd6bcbcc08840d4e4bea661efe9a5ef8f6126ebbbc5bc266701d8f48@%3Cdev.logging.apache.org%3E>
- <http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/knox-user/201705.mbox/%3CCACRbFyjtT7QQGHUzTRdbJoySbJb7tt4BDk5-r-VRn0GB0Kgvag%40mail.gmail.com%3E>

Facts on this page come from the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0), OSV and the other sources listed, as published. We don’t reproduce full advisory descriptions, which can contain exploit code.

## Check whether this affects you

A Match means an installed version is in the affected range above. Most don’t affect the app; agentprime hasn’t analysed this one yet.

- With the agentprime MCP server (<https://api.agentprime.io/mcp>), ask your agent to check the project: `check_lockfile` sends a lockfile, `check_packages` a list of installed packages, and both return the Matches and the upgrades that clear them. `get_advisory` returns this record. Setup: <https://agentprime.io/mcp.md>
- In a browser: <https://agentprime.io/check/> reads your lockfile in the browser, never uploading it.
- Whether it touches your code, with file and line: the Claude Code plugin, <https://agentprime.io/plugin.md>
- As JSON: <https://api.agentprime.io/v1/advisories/GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv>, or `POST https://api.agentprime.io/v1/match` with your packages (<https://agentprime.io/api.md>)

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The web page: <https://agentprime.io/advisories/GHSA-g3fc-8jv4-qmmv/>. Everything for agents: <https://agentprime.io/llms.txt>.