CVE-2018-8016 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Missing Authentication vulnerability in org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all. A fix is available for org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Missing Authentication for Critical Function in Apache Cassandra
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2018-8016 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,636 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-allReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
The default configuration in Apache Cassandra 3.8 through 3.11.1 binds an unauthenticated JMX/RMI interface to all network interfaces, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Java code via an RMI request. This issue is a regression of CVE-2015-0225. The regression was introduced in https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CASSANDRA-12109. The fix for the regression is implemented in https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/CASSANDRA-14173. This fix is contained in the 3.11.2 release of Apache Cassandra.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all | ≥ 3.8&&< 3.11.2 | 3.11.2org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all:3.11.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.cassandra:cassandra-all to 3.11.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2018-8016 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2018-8016 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2018-8016. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2018-8016 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2018-8016 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.