# CVE-2021-34538: Apache Hive Security vulnerability in Hive with UDFs

> Unauthorized users can manipulate User Defined Functions in Apache Hive to execute malicious code, requiring an upgrade to secure the system.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/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:** 16 Jul 2022
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** CLSA-2025-1751328156, GHSA-v3p8-j597-3xg8

## What is CVE-2021-34538?

CVE-2021-34538 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Hive, published on 16 Jul 2022. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Apache Hive before 3.1.3 "CREATE" and "DROP" function operations does not check for necessary authorization of involved entities in the query. It was found that an unauthorized user can manipulate an existing UDF without having the privileges to do so. This allowed unauthorized or underprivileged users to drop and recreate UDFs pointing them to new jars that could be potentially malicious.

Weakness: CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Functionality)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-34538?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.hive:hive. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.hive:hive` | Maven | All versions | 3.1.3 |
| `org.apache.hive:hive` | Maven | All versions | 3.1.3 |

Products: Apache Hive.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-34538?

Upgrade org.apache.hive:hive to 3.1.3 or later.

## Is CVE-2021-34538 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-34538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Hive

- [CVE-2026-49845](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-49845/): Apache Hive: SQL Injection vulnerability in HiveMetaStore partition-name direct-SQL paths (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-21234](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-21234/): Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Jodd (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-55976](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55976/): Apache Hive: SSRF vulnerability in Hive Avro Serde due to Insufficient input validation on avro.schema.url (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2018-1282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-1282/): SQL Injection in hive-jdbc (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2022-41137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-41137/): Apache Hive: Deserialization of untrusted data when fetching partitions from the Metastore (high 8.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-34538 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-34538 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Hive, published on 16 Jul 2022. 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-2021-34538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.hive:hive (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.1.3
- org.apache.hive:hive (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.1.3

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-2021-34538/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34538/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-34538
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34538
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-34538

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34538/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.