Apache Pinot Vulnerability (CVE-2024-56325) Allows Remote Attackers to Bypass Authentication

A critical security vulnerability has recently been discovered in Apache Pinot, a real-time distributed OLAP data store, leading to disastrous consequences for its user base.

This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to perform authentication bypasses and gain access to sensitive systems.

The vulnerability is rated 9.8 on the CVSS scale, which could lead to data breaches, privilege escalation, or possible infrastructure compromise.

The first discovery was made by Trend Micro’s (ZDI) under ZDI-CAN-24001, who confirmed that active exploitation is going on in the wild.

How Attackers Exploit This Vulnerability?

Attackers target this vulnerability by exploiting the lack of proper input sanitization for the AuthenticationFilter class in Apache Pinot.

An attacker can build specially crafted HTTP requests with encoded characters that would eventually bypass the application’s authentication.

It’s not a typical credential-based attack: it requires neither passwords nor tokens nor session hijacking. Attackers are able to obtain unauthorized access to restricted endpoints by exploiting URI parameters.

Once exploited, it allows the attackers the same access level as authenticated users, giving them access to internal APIs and configuration files, even the ability to run Groovy scripts remotely. The RCE can cause data stealing and system interference.

The integrations with Kafka, Hadoop, and other analytics platforms that Pinot offers can also be used by attackers to campaign within an organization’s architecture.

Since very basic HTTP request manipulation is all that’s required for exploitation, this flaw proves very enticing for cybercriminals, especially when targeting cloud-hosted Pinot deployments.

Mitigation and Security Measures

Organizations must perform fast security patches and implement multiple supplemental protective measures to combat CVE-2024-56325.

Upgrade to Apache Pinot 1.3.0 Immediately

The best solution to protect against this vulnerability is Apache Pinot version 1.3.0 because it contains an AuthenticationFilter fix that blocks unauthorized URI exploit attempts.

Every Pinot controller should be combined with other brokers and servers to run the latest operational version as soon as possible.

Older system versions expose organizations to security threats because patching them now stands as an essential requirement for protecting their data infrastructure.

Enforce Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Organizations need to establish RBAC policies to stop unauthorized personnel from accessing vital administrative endpoints.

An updated configuration of Pinot’s access control system will authorize exclusive /appConfigs and pivotal administrative action capabilities to authenticated and authorized system users.

User privileges that are necessary alone should be granted so organizations can minimize the overall attack surface.

Removing the Functionality of Groovy Scripting Decreases RCE Risks

Pinot’s Groovy scripting features act as a possible opportunity for attackers to execute remote code (RCE) attacks.

Business operations that do not need Groovy scripts should be disabled through the pinot.server.instance.enable.groovy=false configuration file entry. This essential modification protects the system from script intrusions.

Network Security should be Enhanced, along with access Restriction Mechanisms

Organizations must place Pinot clusters inside protected networks through proper network segmentation methods.

The implementation of firewalls together with VPNs and mutual TLS (mTLS) protocols for service communication creates substantial barriers against unauthorized access.

Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) should be set up to block unusual and malicious values in URI encoding to offer enhanced protection against attackers who exploit these systems.

The Organization needs to perform security audits together with forensic analysis

The detection of potential breaches needs to be conducted through forensic auditing, even for organizations that have already applied security patches.

Staff members need to inspect access logs for potential security incidents that include unusual URI patterns and unauthorized access methods.

Organizations that maintain continuous penetration testing and runtime vulnerability monitoring can stay protected from new threats while confirming attackers have not benefited from the vulnerability while security measures are implemented.

Continuous Threat Detection along with Monitoring requirements need to be implemented without delay

Real-time vulnerability detection systems such as Upwind’s CVE detection or similar cybersecurity services should be implemented by organizations as a method to detect active exploitation attempts.

Security enhancement can be achieved through Zero Trust principles, which combine multi-factor authentication (MFA) with continuous user validation.

Order-based automated systems for patch deployment must be implemented for fast update distribution between dispersed systems.

Disclosure Timeline and Industry Response

The CVE-2024-56325 vulnerability disclosure sequence demonstrates that organizations now need to install security updates for their newly uncovered vulnerabilities swiftly.

• On July 16th, 2024, the Apache Software Foundation received notice about CVE-2024-56325.
• Both the patched version and the coordinated public advisory became available to the public on March 3 of 2025.
• Cybersecurity firms confirm active exploitation risks for CVE-2024-56325 on March 7th of 2025.

Evaluation of the two datasets in combination with public disclosure information shows researchers that attacks against this vulnerability would be possible within the next thirty days because they cannot detect ongoing threats.

Conclusion

Organizations must handle the Apache Pinot vulnerability (CVE-2024-56325) since it constitutes a significant security threat.

Security experts strengthen weaponization potential by merging public disclosure information with analysis of patch differences to achieve weaponization in less than thirty days.

To protect against such attacks, businesses must invest in automated security software like SiteLock, which detects malware, scans for vulnerabilities, and removes security threats in real time.

Investing in security services will allow businesses to stay ahead of attackers and remove unauthorized access to sensitive information.