CVE-2023-37476: Main OpenRefine Vulnerable To Zip Slip Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m88m-crr9-jvqq
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CVSS 5.5
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-37476 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) openrefine vulnerable to zip slip vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Main libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves openrefine vulnerable to zip slip in project import. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.7.4.

CVE-2023-37476 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-37476
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m88m-crr9-jvqq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Main
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction Required (UI:R)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality Low (C:L)
Integrity Low (I:L)
Availability Low (A:L)

How to Fix CVE-2023-37476

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Main dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.openrefine:main fixed: 3.7.4 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.openrefine</groupId>
    <artifactId>main</artifactId>
    <version>3.7.4</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openrefine

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2023-37476, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openrefine

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Main in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 3.7.4), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openrefine command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Main, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

### Impact A carefully crafted malicious OpenRefine project tar file can be used to trigger arbitrary code execution if a user can be convinced to import it. ### Patches The vulnerability exists in all versions of OpenRefine up to and including 3.7.3. Users should update to OpenRefine 3.7.4 as soon as possible. ### Workarounds Only import OpenRefine projects from trusted sources. ### References A similar [issue](https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/issues/1840) existed in the Create Project feature ([CVE-2018-19859](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-19859)), which was fixed by PR [#1901](https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/pull/1901).

CVE-2023-37476 Affected Main Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.7.4
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.openrefine:main
maven/org.openrefine/main
Maven
< 3.7.4
3.7.4

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/security/advisories/GHSA-m88m-crr9-jvqq
NVD — CVE-2023-37476 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37476
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/commit/e9c1e65d58b47aec8cd676bd5c07d97b002f205e
Main Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine
Main Release RELEASE
https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/releases/tag/3.7.4
www.sonarsource.com/blog/openrefine-zip... WEB
https://www.sonarsource.com/blog/openrefine-zip-slip

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-37476?
CVE-2023-37476 is a security vulnerability in Main involving OpenRefine vulnerable to zip slip in project import under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Main versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.7.4 across affected packages: org.openrefine:main.
What version fixes CVE-2023-37476?
Upgrading to 3.7.4 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is main affected?
Yes, org.openrefine:main is affected in releases prior to 3.7.4. Upgrade your dependency to 3.7.4 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-37476?
CVE-2023-37476 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-37476?
CVE-2023-37476 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2023-37476?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.openrefine'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-m88m-crr9-jvqq",
  "modified" : "2025-06-10T19:58:06Z",
  "published" : "2023-07-18T18:47:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-37476" ],
  "summary" : "OpenRefine vulnerable to zip slip in project import",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nA carefully crafted malicious OpenRefine project tar file can be used to trigger arbitrary code execution if a user can be convinced to import it.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe vulnerability exists in all versions of OpenRefine up to and including 3.7.3. Users should update to OpenRefine 3.7.4 as soon as possible.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nOnly import OpenRefine projects from trusted sources.\n\n### References\n\nA similar [issue](https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/issues/1840) existed in the Create Project feature ([CVE-2018-19859](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-19859)), which was fixed by PR [#1901](https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/pull/1901).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.openrefine:main"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.7.4"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/security/advisories/GHSA-m88m-crr9-jvqq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37476"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/commit/e9c1e65d58b47aec8cd676bd5c07d97b002f205e"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/OpenRefine/OpenRefine/releases/tag/3.7.4"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.sonarsource.com/blog/openrefine-zip-slip"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-07-18T18:47:27Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-07-17T22:15:09Z"
  }
}