CVE-2020-9480 — spark-parent_2.11
CRITICALCVE-2020-9480 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) Missing Authentication vulnerability in org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Authentication in Apache Spark
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-2020-9480 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 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 10–50% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11🐍pysparkReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven, PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
In Apache Spark 2.4.5 and earlier, a standalone resource manager's master may be configured to require authentication (spark.authenticate) via a shared secret. When enabled, however, a specially-crafted RPC to the master can succeed in starting an application's resources on the Spark cluster, even without the shared key. This can be leveraged to execute shell commands on the host machine. This does not affect Spark clusters using other resource managers (YARN, Mesos, etc).
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 | all versions | 2.4.6org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11:2.4.6 |
| 🐍PyPI | pyspark | all versions | 2.4.6pip install --upgrade 'pyspark==2.4.6' |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.spark:spark-parent_2.11 to 2.4.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-9480 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-2020-9480 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2020-9480. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect CVE-2020-9480
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id cve-2020-9480 -u https://target- Template
- Apache Spark - Authentication Bypass
- Severity
- critical
- Impact
- Attackers can execute arbitrary shell commands on the host machine, leading to full system compromise.
- Remediation
- Update to Spark 2.4.6 or later to fix the vulnerability.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (riteshs4hu), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2020-9480 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2020-9480 across Maven, PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.