CVE-2021-38296
Apache Spark Key Negotiation Vulnerability
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- apache
Description
Apache Spark supports end-to-end encryption of RPC connections via "spark.authenticate" and "spark.network.crypto.enabled". In versions 3.1.2 and earlier, it uses a bespoke mutual authentication protocol that allows for full encryption key recovery. After an initial interactive attack, this would allow someone to decrypt plaintext traffic offline. Note that this does not affect security mechanisms controlled by "spark.authenticate.enableSaslEncryption", "spark.io.encryption.enabled", "spark.ssl", "spark.ui.strictTransportSecurity". Update to Apache Spark 3.1.3 or later
Timeline
ID reserved
By apache
- 7 months later
· 7 months later
Published
- 2 years later
· 2 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 1.8% · top 21% of all CVEs (8 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.5.
Weakness
Affected products
Apache Software Foundation · Apache Spark
- affected up to and including version 3.1.2 – ≤ 3.1.2
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- Mavenorg.apache.spark:spark-coreGHSA-9rr6-jpg7-9jg6 (opens in a new tab)
- PyPIpysparkGHSA-9rr6-jpg7-9jg6 (opens in a new tab)
References (2)
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/70x8fw2gx3g9ty7yk0f2f1dlpqml2smd (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujul2022.html (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-9rr6-jpg7-9jg6 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2021-38296)Record last updated .