GHSA-c57v-4vg5-cm2x
HIGHApache Pulsar SASL Authentication Provider observable timing discrepancy vulnerability
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.
Blast Radius
org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl☕org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl☕org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-saslReal-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
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/ .
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl | all versions | 2.11.3 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl | ≥ 3.0.0&&< 3.0.2 | 3.0.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl | ≥ 3.1.0&&< 3.1.1 | 3.1.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.apache.pulsar:pulsar-broker-auth-sasl to 2.11.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-c57v-4vg5-cm2x 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-c57v-4vg5-cm2x is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-c57v-4vg5-cm2x. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-c57v-4vg5-cm2x in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-c57v-4vg5-cm2x across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.