# CVE-2020-17522: Cache Manipulation Attack in Apache Traffic Control

> Attackers can push or remove arbitrary content from CDN cache servers due to overly permissive IP allowlist configurations generated by the tool.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Jan 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pw59-4qgf-jxr8

## What is CVE-2020-17522?

CVE-2020-17522 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Traffic Control, published on 26 Jan 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

When ORT (now via atstccfg) generates ip_allow.config files in Apache Traffic Control 3.0.0 to 3.1.0 and 4.0.0 to 4.1.0, those files include permissions that allow bad actors to push arbitrary content into and remove arbitrary content from CDN cache servers. Additionally, these permissions are potentially extended to IP addresses outside the desired range, resulting in them being granted to clients possibly outside the CDN arcitechture.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2020-17522?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including github.com/apache/trafficcontrol. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `github.com/apache/trafficcontrol` | Go | All versions | 5.0.0 |
| `github.com/apache/trafficcontrol` | Go | All versions | 5.0.0 |

Products: Apache Traffic Control.

## How do I fix CVE-2020-17522?

Upgrade github.com/apache/trafficcontrol to 5.0.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2020-17522 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-17522 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Traffic Control

- [CVE-2024-45387](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-45387/): Apache Traffic Control: SQL Injection in Traffic Ops endpoint PUT deliveryservice_request_comments (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2021-43350](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-43350/): LDAP filter injection vulnerability in Traffic Ops (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-12405](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12405/): Improper Authentication in Apache Traffic Control (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-61581](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-61581/): Apache Traffic Control: ReDoS issue in Traffic Router configuration (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2022-23206](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-23206/): Server-Side Request Forgery in Traffic Ops endpoint POST /user/login/oauth (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2020-17522 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2020-17522 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Traffic Control, published on 26 Jan 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2020-17522 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- github.com/apache/trafficcontrol (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 5.0.0
- github.com/apache/trafficcontrol (Go): affected all versions; fixed in 5.0.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-17522/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-17522/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-17522
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-17522
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2020-17522

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-17522/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.