How severe is CVE-2023-22946?

CVE-2023-22946 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.

Is CVE-2023-22946 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-22946?

CVE-2023-22946 affects Apache Spark. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-22946?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2023-22946 published?

CVE-2023-22946 was published on 2023-04-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-22946

CVE-2023-22946 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Spark with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-269.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.4)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (62nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-269
Affected product: Apache Spark
Published: 2023-04-17
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In Apache Spark versions prior to 3.4.0, applications using spark-submit can specify a 'proxy-user' to run as, limiting privileges. The application can execute code with the privileges of the submitting user, however, by providing malicious configuration-related classes on the classpath. This affects architectures relying on proxy-user, for example those using Apache Livy to manage submitted applications. Update to Apache Spark 3.4.0 or later, and ensure that spark.submit.proxyUser.allowCustomClasspathInClusterMode is set to its default of "false", and is not overridden by submitted applications.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-22946?: In Apache Spark versions prior to 3.4.0, applications using spark-submit can specify a 'proxy-user' to run as, limiting privileges. The application can execute code with the privileges of the submitting user, however, by providing malicious configuration-related classes on the classpath. This affects architectures relying on proxy-user, for example those using Apache Livy to manage submitted applications. Update to Apache Spark 3.4.0 or later, and ensure that spark.submit.proxyUser.allowCustomClasspathInClusterMode is set to its default of "false", and is not overridden by submitted applications.
How severe is CVE-2023-22946?: CVE-2023-22946 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is low, integrity low, and availability none.
Is CVE-2023-22946 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (62nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-22946?: CVE-2023-22946 affects Apache Spark. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-22946?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2023-22946 published?: CVE-2023-22946 was published on 2023-04-17 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

https://lists.apache.org/thread/yllfl25xh5tbotjmg93zrq4bzwhqc0gv

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:apache:spark:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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