External risk intelligence

Apache Kylin OS Command Injection Vulnerability

CVE advisorySeverity: CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8)

CVE-2026-62392

Apache Kylin is a distributed analytics engine designed as a server-side application. It provides web-based APIs for job management and data access. These interfaces are commonly exposed in network environments to facilitate remote administration and data processing, increasing the likelihood of exposure for this backend API vulnerability.

OS Command Injection

Apache Kylin

4.0.0 to before 5.0.4

Halo Surface Signal: 4 out of 5 — likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A vulnerability in Apache Kylin allows for the injection of operating system commands through backend API parameters. This could potentially expose the system to unauthorized control and data manipulation.

Commands can be run on the system.
Protects against remote system compromise.
Confirm relevance and manage exposure.

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted parameters to a backend API in Apache Kylin. This API then passes these parameters directly to the operating system's command line without proper sanitization, allowing the attacker to inject and execute arbitrary OS commands. When successful, this could lead to a compromise of the server's confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

No authentication or user interaction required.
Triggered via backend API job config parameters.
High risk to system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability in Apache Kylin's backend API could allow an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary operating system commands by injecting malicious parameters into job configurations. When supported by the advisory, this could impact system integrity and data confidentiality.

System commands and job configurations at risk.
Exposure via crafted API requests.
Potential for unauthorized system access.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This OS Command Injection vulnerability in Apache Kylin's backend API requires immediate attention from teams managing the Kylin platform. The first practical step is to identify all deployed instances of Kylin, confirm their network exposure and business criticality, and locate the accountable owner for each instance to initiate a risk-based remediation plan.

Platform/Application owners should manage the issue.
Verify network reachability and business impact.
Plan coordinated updates during maintenance.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

Validate whether this threat affects your internet-facing exposure.

Halo Threat Intelligence helps prioritize remediation with Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context. Start exposure validation with a free external attack surface trial.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Apache Kylin?

Apache Kylin is a distributed analytics engine used for processing large-scale datasets. It functions as a server-side application that provides web-based APIs to manage jobs and access data, allowing users to perform complex multidimensional analysis across massive information stores.

What does OS Command Injection mean for CVE-2026-62392?

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-78, which refers to OS Command Injection. In the context of CVE-2026-62392, it means the software fails to properly filter input. An attacker can send malicious data to a backend API, which the system then accidentally runs as a direct command on the underlying operating system.

How can an attacker trigger this vulnerability?

An attacker triggers this by sending specially crafted parameters to specific backend API job configurations. The vulnerability is not triggered by standard, legitimate data processing tasks; it requires the injection of malicious, non-sanitized content into those specific configuration fields.

Is my Apache Kylin instance at risk?

According to Halo Surface Signal, Apache Kylin is often deployed in network environments where its APIs are exposed to facilitate remote access, which increases the likelihood of reachability. If your instance is accessible over the network, it faces a higher risk because this vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction to exploit.

What is the first step to address this CVE?

The primary step is to identify all Apache Kylin versions running in your environment that fall between 4.0.0 and 5.0.3. Once identified, plan to upgrade these instances to version 5.0.4, which contains the necessary fix for this command injection weakness.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.