# CVE-2025-23196: Apache Ambari: Code Injection Vulnerability in Ambari Alert Definition

> Authenticated attackers can inject shell commands via alert script filenames, leading to remote code execution on the server.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 3 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-37rh-2c9j-68mm

## What is CVE-2025-23196?

CVE-2025-23196 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Apache Ambari, published on 21 Jan 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A code injection vulnerability exists in the Ambari Alert Definition 
feature, allowing authenticated users to inject and execute arbitrary 
shell commands. The vulnerability arises when defining alert scripts, 
where the script filename field is executed using `sh -c`. An attacker 
with authenticated access can exploit this vulnerability to inject 
malicious commands, leading to remote code execution on the server. The 
issue has been fixed in the latest versions of Ambari.

Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-23196?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apache Ambari.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-23196?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-23196 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-23196 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-23196 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Ambari

- [CVE-2017-5642](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-5642/): Misconfiguration in Apache Ambari (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2014-3582](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3582/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2016-6807](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-6807/): Apache Ambari Improper Access Control (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-51941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-51941/): Apache Ambari: Remote Code Injection in Ambari Metrics and AMS Alerts (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-50379](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-50379/): Apache Ambari: authenticated users could perform command injection to perform RCE (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-23196 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-23196 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Apache Ambari, published on 21 Jan 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-23196 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apache Ambari. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2025-23196/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23196/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-23196
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-23196
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-23196

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-23196/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.