CVE-2024-45478 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Apache Ranger UI, specifically in the Edit Service Page of version 2.4.0. Apache Ranger is a widely used open-source framework for data security and governance, providing centralized security administration for Hadoop and related big data platforms. The vulnerability arises due to improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), allowing an authenticated user with high privileges to inject malicious scripts that are stored and later executed in the context of other users viewing the affected page. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.8 (medium severity), with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:H), user interaction (UI:R), scope changed (S:C), and limited confidentiality and integrity impact (C:L/I:L), with no impact on availability (A:N). Exploitation requires an authenticated user with high privileges to interact with the UI, making it less trivial but still significant in environments where multiple administrators or users have access. The vulnerability can lead to unauthorized script execution, potentially allowing attackers to hijack sessions, steal credentials, or perform actions on behalf of other users within the Ranger UI, undermining the integrity and confidentiality of the security governance platform. No known exploits are reported in the wild as of the publication date. The recommended remediation is to upgrade to Apache Ranger version 2.5.0, where this issue has been fixed.

For European organizations, especially those leveraging big data platforms secured by Apache Ranger, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data governance controls. Since Apache Ranger manages access policies and auditing for data lakes and Hadoop clusters, exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate security policies or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data indirectly. The requirement for high privileges and user interaction limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk in multi-admin environments common in large enterprises and research institutions across Europe. Compromise could lead to policy tampering, unauthorized data access, and potential compliance violations under GDPR and other data protection regulations. The medium severity rating reflects the moderate risk but should not be underestimated given the critical role of Apache Ranger in data security.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading Apache Ranger installations from version 2.4.0 to 2.5.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations should enforce strict access controls and minimize the number of users with high privileges in the Ranger UI. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrative access to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Conduct regular audits of user activities within the Ranger UI to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting the Ranger UI. Security teams should also educate administrators about the risks of stored XSS and the importance of cautious input handling. Finally, ensure that all input fields in custom extensions or integrations with Ranger are properly sanitized and encoded to prevent similar vulnerabilities.