CVE-2023-51437

Home/CVE/Observable timing discrepancy vulnerability in Apache Pulsar SASL Authentication Provider can allow an attacker to forge

CVE

Observable timing discrepancy vulnerability in Apache Pulsar SASL Authentication Provider can allow an attacker to forge

Observable timing discrepancy vulnerability in Apache Pulsar SASL Authentication Provider can allow an attacker to forge a SASL Role Token that will pass signature verification. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.11.3, 3.0.2, or 3.1.1 which fixes the issue. Users should also consider updating the configured secret in the saslJaasServerRoleTokenSignerSecretPath file.

Any component matching an above version running the SASL Authentication Provider is affected. That includes the Pulsar Broker, Proxy, Websocket Proxy, or Function Worker. 2.11 Pulsar users should upgrade to at least 2.11.3. 3.0 Pulsar users should upgrade to at least 3.0.2. 3.1 Pulsar users should upgrade to at least 3.1.1. Any users running Pulsar 2.8, 2.9, 2.10, and earlier should upgrade to one of the above patched versions.

For additional details on this attack vector, please refer to https://codahale.com/a-lesson-in-timing-attacks/ .

HIGH · CVSS 7.4 EPSS 0.00763

Act now

Public exploit or PoC is available
CVSS base score ≥ 7.0

Sigma rules0 YARA rules0

Look this up elsewhere - one-click external pivots

NVD CVE.org CISA Vulners Exploit-DB GitHub PoC VulnCheck KEV GreyNoise

▸ How to read a CVE - triage first, then detect and patch

This page is every public fact about CVE-2023-51437, cross-linked. Its job is to answer one question fast - does this need my attention now? - and then hand you the two things you do about it. Here is how an analyst reads it.

Triage: should I act now? Four signals, and they are not interchangeable:

CVSSseverity - how bad it is IF exploited, 0-10. A high CVSS alone is not urgency; a flaw can be a perfect 10 and never actually be attacked. EPSSprobability - a model’s estimate of the chance it is exploited in the next 30 days, 0-1. This is the “will it actually happen” signal. CISA KEVconfirmed - it is being exploited in the wild right now. The strongest signal on the page; KEV beats any score. Weaponisedavailability - public exploits / PoCs, and especially Metasploit modules rated Excellent / Great. Reliable, packaged exploit code means low-skill attackers can use it today.

How they combine: KEV, or a dependable Metasploit module, means patch now regardless of CVSS. High CVSS + low EPSS + no exploit is real but not an emergency - schedule it. Low CVSS but KEV-listed still gets patched now. The verdict above already weighed these for you; this is how it got there.

Then what - two workflows:

Detectwhen you cannot patch today, follow this CVE to the ATT&CK techniques it enables, then Build a SIEM detection (the green button) - author a rule, test it in Atomic, deploy it. That buys visibility while the patch waits. PatchAffected products / packages tell you if you are exposed; Fixed versions by distribution and Vendor advisories give the exact version that closes it.

Reading order for the panels below: verdict + badges, then Public exploits / Metasploit (is it weaponised), then ATT&CK techniques + Sigma / IDS rules (can I detect it), then Affected products / packages + Fixed versions (am I exposed, what patches it), then Threat actors / IOCs (who uses it), then Scoring & timeline / references (the evidence).

View attack path from CVE-2023-51437

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ATT&CK techniques

Techniques this CVE enables - linked via CWECAPECATT&CK. High◆ = named directly in ATT&CK or Nuclei templates.

T1190 · Exploit Public-Facing Application

▤ Build a SIEM detection for these techniques

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CAPEC attack patterns

Attack patterns this CVE enables - the bridge from weakness to ATT&CK technique.

CAPEC-CAPEC-189 · Black Box Reverse Engineering

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Weakness Classification

CWE-203Observable Discrepancy

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Affected Products & Versions

apache pulsar<= 2.10.5
apache pulsar>= 2.11.0 and < 2.11.3
apache pulsar>= 3.0.0 and < 3.0.2
apache pulsarall versions

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Affected Packages

Language-ecosystem packages (from OSV) tied to this CVE, with the version that fixes it - the dependency-level detail NVD doesn’t carry.

Maven org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl HIGH fixed in 2.11.3

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Public Exploits & PoCs

These PoC and exploit links come from public sources and are not verified to be safe or functional. Review the code before running anything, and treat unverified entries as untrusted.

pocfkie-cad/nvd-json-data-feeds (trickest)

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Scoring & Timeline

7.4

HIGH · CVSS v3.1 · [email protected]

View on NVD

Attack Vector

Network Adjacent Local Physical

Attack Complexity

Low High

Privileges Required

None Low High

User Interaction

None Required

Scope

Unchanged Changed

Confidentiality

None Low High

Integrity

None Low High

Availability

None Low High

Published to NVD07 Feb 2024 · 10:15 AM

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

SSVC triage · cisa-vulnrichment

Exploitation

none

Automatable

Technical impact

partial

SSVC asks the questions that actually drive patch urgency: is it being exploited, can attacks be automated, and how total is the impact.

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References & Sources

Source URLs (vendor pages, mailing lists, write-ups). Exploit/PoC links are in their own section above to avoid duplication.

https://lists.apache.org/thread/5kgmvvolf5tzp5rz9xjwfg2ncwvqqgl5Issue TrackingVendor Advisory

https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/02/07/1