CVE-2023-42501VulnerabilityPublished 27 Nov 2023Updated 5 Jun 2025

CVE-2023-42501: Apache Superset · Incorrect Default Permissions

Affects Apache SupersetSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 4.3 Medium : upgrade to 2.1.2 when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 06:26 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

4.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 58% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 2.1.2

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 27 Nov 2023
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-26.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade apache-superset to 2.1.2.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
PyPIapache-superset`pkg:pypi/apache-superset`Other threats	Affected <2.1.2	Fixed in 2.1.2

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

1. Upgrade Apache Superset to version 2.1.2 or later immediately to ensure the Gamma role permissions are corrected by default. 2. After upgrading, execute the `superset init` command to reconstruct the Gamma role with the appropriate permissions. 3. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, manually remove the `can_read` permission from CSS templates and annotations for the Gamma role via Superset's role and permission management interface. 4. Audit existing user roles and permissions regularly to ensure no excessive privileges are granted, especially for roles with read access to configuration or UI resources. 5. Implement strict authentication and authorization controls to limit the assignment of the Gamma role only to trusted users. 6. Monitor Superset logs for unusual access patterns to CSS templates and annotations that could indicate exploitation attempts. 7. Educate administrators and developers about the importance of least privilege principles in BI tool configurations. 8. Consider network segmentation and access controls to restrict Superset access to authorized personnel only.

Description

Unnecessary read permissions within the Gamma role would allow authenticated users to read configured CSS templates and annotations. This issue affects Apache Superset: before 2.1.2. Users should upgrade to version or above 2.1.2 and run `superset init` to reconstruct the Gamma role or remove `can_read` permission from the mentioned resources.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-42501 is primarily related to confidentiality leakage of UI configuration data within Apache Superset deployments. Organizations using Superset for business intelligence and data visualization could inadvertently expose CSS templates and annotations to any authenticated user with Gamma role privileges. While this does not directly compromise sensitive business data or system integrity, it may provide attackers or unauthorized users with insights into the application's customization and layout, potentially aiding social engineering or further exploitation. In regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or government sectors within Europe, even limited information disclosure can have compliance implications under GDPR or other data protection frameworks. Moreover, since Superset is often integrated with critical data sources, any weakness in access control can undermine trust in the platform's security posture. The medium severity rating suggests that while the threat is not critical, it should be addressed promptly to maintain a strong security baseline and prevent escalation.

CWE-276Incorrect Default Permissions (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
During installation, installed file permissions are set to allow anyone to modify those files.
Architecture and Design · Operation
The architecture needs to access and modification attributes for files to only those users who actually require those actions.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Compartmentalize the system to have "safe" areas where trust boundaries can be unambiguously drawn. Do not allow sensitive data to go outside of the trust boundary and always be careful when interfacing with a compartment outside of the safe area.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Access Control (opens in a new tab)
Authorization Testing Automation (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V8.3.8 (opens in a new tab)
V13.4.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs (opens in a new tab)
Directory Indexing (opens in a new tab)
Web Server Logs Tampering (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 7 Jul 2025, 16:27 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-276

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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