CVE-2024-45479 is a critical Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability identified in Apache Ranger version 2.4.0, specifically within the Edit Service Page of the Apache Ranger UI. Apache Ranger is an open-source framework under the Apache Software Foundation that provides centralized security administration, fine-grained access control, and auditing for big data platforms. The SSRF vulnerability (classified under CWE-918) allows an unauthenticated attacker to induce the server-side application to make HTTP requests to arbitrary domains or internal systems. This occurs because the vulnerable Edit Service Page does not properly validate or sanitize user-supplied URLs or network requests, enabling attackers to manipulate the server into sending requests to internal or external resources. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 reflects the high severity of this vulnerability, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), no required privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and high impact on confidentiality and integrity (C:H/I:H), but no impact on availability (A:N). Exploiting this SSRF could allow attackers to access sensitive internal services, bypass network access controls, or extract confidential information from internal systems that are otherwise inaccessible externally. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the critical nature and ease of exploitation without authentication make this a significant threat. The recommended remediation is to upgrade Apache Ranger to version 2.5.0, where this vulnerability has been fixed.

For European organizations, especially those leveraging big data platforms and Hadoop ecosystems secured by Apache Ranger, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to internal network resources, including databases, metadata stores, or other internal services that are protected behind firewalls. This could result in data breaches involving sensitive personal data, intellectual property, or critical infrastructure information, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. The integrity of security policies and access controls managed by Apache Ranger could also be compromised, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges or manipulate audit logs. Given the criticality and the lack of required authentication, attackers could remotely exploit this vulnerability from outside the network perimeter, increasing the attack surface. The impact is heightened in sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies across Europe.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading Apache Ranger installations from version 2.4.0 to 2.5.0 or later to remediate this SSRF vulnerability. In addition to patching, organizations should implement network segmentation to isolate Apache Ranger servers from sensitive internal services, minimizing the potential impact of SSRF exploitation. Employ strict egress filtering and firewall rules to restrict outbound HTTP requests from the Ranger server to only trusted destinations. Monitoring and logging of outgoing requests from the Ranger server should be enhanced to detect anomalous or unauthorized network activity indicative of SSRF exploitation attempts. Access to the Apache Ranger UI should be restricted using network access controls and multi-factor authentication to reduce exposure. Finally, conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on SSRF and related web vulnerabilities within the big data security infrastructure.