Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-56512

Access Control in Apache Nifi 1.10.0 – 2.1.0

Published
28 December 2024
Modified
11 February 2025
CVSS Score v4 2.1
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:P/AU:Y/R:U/V:C/RE:L/U:Green
EPSS Score 0.031 87th percentile
Risk Priority 45 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-56512 is a low-severity Not Using Complete Mediation (CWE-638) vulnerability in Apache Nifi. Its CVSS base score is 2.1 (Low).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 13% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-24 (Access Control Decisions) and AC-25 (Reference Monitor) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

Apache NiFi versions 1.10.0 through 2.0.0 contain an authorization flaw that omits fine-grained permission checks when a new Process Group is created. The affected components are Parameter Contexts bound to the group, along with any referenced Controller Services and Parameter Providers. The issue occurs only under component-based authorization policies and only when the creating user already holds the right to instantiate Process Groups.

An authenticated user with Process Group creation rights can therefore bind to a Parameter Context without triggering an authorization decision, later retrieving its non-sensitive parameter values. The same user can also reference existing Controller Services or Parameter Providers that would normally be inaccessible, effectively exercising those components inside the newly created group.

Public advisories from the Apache NiFi project state that the recommended mitigation is to upgrade to version 2.1.0, which enforces the missing authorization checks on Parameter Context, Controller Service, and Parameter Provider references at Process Group creation time. The current EPSS score of 0.3761 with a peak of 0.4054 does not indicate a material rise from a low baseline.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Apache NiFi 1.10.0 through 2.0.0 are missing fine-grained authorization checking for Parameter Contexts, referenced Controller Services, and referenced Parameter Providers, when creating new Process Groups. Creating a new Process Group can include binding to a Parameter Context, but in cases…

more

where the Process Group did not reference any Parameter values, the framework did not check user authorization for the bound Parameter Context. Missing authorization for a bound Parameter Context enabled clients to download non-sensitive Parameter values after creating the Process Group. Creating a new Process Group can also include referencing existing Controller Services or Parameter Providers. The framework did not check user authorization for referenced Controller Services or Parameter Providers, enabling clients to create Process Groups and use these components that were otherwise unauthorized. This vulnerability is limited in scope to authenticated users authorized to create Process Groups. The scope is further limited to deployments with component-based authorization policies. Upgrading to Apache NiFi 2.1.0 is the recommended mitigation, which includes authorization checking for Parameter and Controller Service references on Process Group creation.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
T1548 Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may circumvent mechanisms designed to control privilege elevation to gain higher-level permissions.
T1556 Modify Authentication Process Defense Impairment
Adversaries may modify authentication mechanisms and processes to access user credentials or enable otherwise unwarranted access to accounts.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-50944Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2023-51650Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2024-45461Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2024-27906Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2024-23944Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2023-26269Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2023-49620Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2022-23944Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2025-43838Shared CWE-862
CVE-2023-7268Shared CWE-862

Affected Assets

apache
nifi
1.10.0 — 2.1.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 5 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V10.3.4
  • V15.4.2

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

AC-24 mandates that access control decisions are applied to each individual access request, enforcing complete mediation.

AC-25 requires a reference monitor that is always invoked on every access, which is the exact mechanism for complete mediation.

AC-3 directly requires enforcement of authorization decisions on every access request, structurally eliminating missing authorization checks.

AC-6 reduces the set of actions reachable without proper authorization, limiting blast radius of missing checks.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.AA-05 full match
prevents

Explicitly requires defining, enforcing, and reviewing authorizations and least privilege, directly preventing missing authorization checks.

PR.IR-01 partial match
prevents

Protecting environments from unauthorized access relies on continuous mediation to remain effective when privileges change.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Requiring authentication and credentials before any access occurs eliminates the absence of authorization checks that would otherwise allow an unauthenticated actor to reach protected resources.

prevents

Access control policy directly requires checks on every access, preventing stale privileges.

prevents

Managing access rights lifecycle ensures checks reflect current privileges on each use.

mitigates

Segregating the approval of access rights from their implementation provides an independent check that reduces the impact of missing authorization checks in the resulting system configuration.

finds

By requiring competent outsiders to verify that every function enforces the need-to-know principle, the control lowers the likelihood that missing authorization checks persist undetected.

prevents

Defining authorization responsibilities and reviewing risk-treatment progress throughout the project lifecycle catches missing authorization checks before the system is deployed.

Hardening callouts derived

Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248581 OL 8 must require users to provide a password for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-862
  • V-252656 The OL 8 operating system must not be configured to bypass password requirements for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-862
RHEL 7 (2 rules)
  • V-251704 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not be configured to bypass password requirements for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-862
  • V-204429 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must be configured so that users must provide a password for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-862

References