CVE-2025-59059: Apache Ranger RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-59059 Overview

A critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability has been identified in the NashornScriptEngineCreator component of Apache Ranger. This vulnerability affects Apache Ranger versions 2.7.0 and earlier, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely on vulnerable systems. The flaw resides in improper code generation controls within the Nashorn JavaScript engine integration, which is used for policy evaluation and dynamic script execution in Apache Ranger.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can achieve full system compromise through arbitrary code execution, potentially leading to complete confidentiality, integrity, and availability breaches across the affected Apache Ranger deployment and connected big data infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Apache Ranger versions 2.7.0 and earlier
• Systems utilizing NashornScriptEngineCreator for policy evaluation
• Big data environments relying on Apache Ranger for access control

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-03 - CVE-2025-59059 published to NVD
• 2026-03-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-59059

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), commonly known as Code Injection. The flaw exists within the NashornScriptEngineCreator component of Apache Ranger, which provides JavaScript evaluation capabilities for dynamic policy processing. The Nashorn engine, originally designed to execute JavaScript code within the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), can be exploited when user-controllable input is passed to script evaluation functions without proper sanitization.

The vulnerability allows network-based exploitation without requiring authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable Nashorn script engine, execute arbitrary Java code on the underlying server. Given Apache Ranger's role as a centralized security framework for Hadoop ecosystem access control, successful exploitation could grant attackers complete control over data access policies and the underlying system.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and sandboxing within the NashornScriptEngineCreator implementation. The Nashorn JavaScript engine provides direct access to Java classes and methods through its JavaScript-to-Java interoperability features. When script input is not properly sanitized or when the engine is not configured with appropriate security restrictions, attackers can leverage Java reflection and runtime execution capabilities to break out of the intended script sandbox and execute arbitrary system commands.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to an Apache Ranger instance that trigger script evaluation through the vulnerable NashornScriptEngineCreator component. The malicious payload leverages Nashorn's Java interoperability to access dangerous classes such as java.lang.Runtime or java.lang.ProcessBuilder, enabling command execution on the host system.

The exploitation mechanism typically involves crafting JavaScript payloads that:

1. Access Java runtime classes through Nashorn's Java.type() function
2. Instantiate process execution objects
3. Execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the Apache Ranger service account

For detailed technical information about this vulnerability, refer to the Apache Security Mailing List Thread and the OpenWall OSS-Security Discussion.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-59059

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected child processes spawned by the Apache Ranger Java process (e.g., /bin/sh, /bin/bash, cmd.exe)
• Unusual network connections originating from the Ranger service to external IP addresses
• Log entries showing JavaScript evaluation errors or suspicious script content in Ranger audit logs
• Presence of reconnaissance commands or data exfiltration attempts in process monitoring

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Apache Ranger logs for script execution patterns containing Java class references such as java.lang.Runtime, ProcessBuilder, or java.lang.reflect
• Implement network intrusion detection rules to identify suspicious payloads targeting Ranger REST API endpoints
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions that can identify Nashorn-based code injection attempts through behavioral analysis
• Review Ranger policy evaluation logs for anomalous JavaScript content or unexpected API calls

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for Apache Ranger script evaluation components to capture potential exploitation attempts
• Configure SIEM correlation rules to alert on combinations of Ranger service activity followed by suspicious process execution
• Establish baseline behavior for Apache Ranger services and alert on deviations, particularly unexpected outbound connections or process spawning
• Implement file integrity monitoring on Apache Ranger installation directories to detect post-exploitation modifications

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-59059

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Ranger to version 2.8.0 or later, which contains the security fix for this vulnerability
• If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to Apache Ranger admin interfaces to trusted networks only
• Review and audit existing Ranger policies for any suspicious or unauthorized modifications
• Implement network segmentation to limit the blast radius of potential compromise

Patch Information

Apache has released version 2.8.0 of Apache Ranger, which addresses this Remote Code Execution vulnerability in the NashornScriptEngineCreator component. Organizations are strongly recommended to upgrade to this version immediately. The official security advisory and patch details are available through the Apache Security Mailing List Thread.

Workarounds

• Implement strict network access controls to limit exposure of Apache Ranger services to trusted internal networks only
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to inspect and block suspicious JavaScript-containing payloads targeting Ranger endpoints
• Disable or restrict Nashorn script engine functionality if not required for operational purposes
• Monitor and restrict the Apache Ranger service account privileges to minimize potential post-exploitation impact

# Example: Restrict network access to Apache Ranger admin port
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 6080 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 6080 -j DROP