Summary
OpenRefine has a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability (XSS) from POST request in ExportRowsCommand
The export-rows command can be used in such a way that it reflects part of the request verbatim, with a Content-Type header also taken from the request.
An attacker could lead a user to a malicious page that submits a form POST that contains embedded JavaScript code. This code would then be included in the response, along with an attacker-controlled Content-Type header, and so potentially executed in the victim's browser as if it was part of OpenRefine.
The attacker must know a valid project ID of a project that contains at least one row.
Details
The malicious form sets contentType to text/html (ExportRowsCommand.java line 101) and preview to true (line 107). This combination causes the browser to treat what OpenRefine thinks of as an export preview as a regular webpage.
It would be safer if the export-rows command did not allow overriding the Content-Type header at all, instead relying on the exporter to provide the correct Content-Type. It could also require a CSRF token. As an additional measure, it could add a Content-Security-Policy header to the response disabling scripts and such entirely.
At least the CSV exporter (separator and lineSeparator fields) and templating exporter (any field) are affected. It may also be possible to inject into the dateSettings.custom field or the SQL exporter default value field, if the project contains date or null cells.
PoC
An example form that demonstrates the issue is available on https://wandernauta.nl/os/.
Impact
Execution of arbitrary JavaScript in the user's browser. The attacker-provided code can do anything the user can do, including deleting projects, retrieving database passwords, or executing arbitrary Jython or Closure expressions, if those extensions are also present.
Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session. Typical impact: session or credential theft, and actions taken as the user.
CVE-2024-47880 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. 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 (3.8.3); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
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. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Already deployed Kodem?
See it in your environmentNew to Kodem? Get a demo →Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2024-47880? CVE-2024-47880 is a high-severity cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.openrefine:openrefine (maven), affecting versions < 3.8.3. It is fixed in 3.8.3. Untrusted input is rendered as active markup in a victim's browser, which can run script in their session.
- How severe is CVE-2024-47880? CVE-2024-47880 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (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.
- Which versions of org.openrefine:openrefine are affected by CVE-2024-47880? org.openrefine:openrefine (maven) versions < 3.8.3 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2024-47880? Yes. CVE-2024-47880 is fixed in 3.8.3. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2024-47880 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-47880 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
- What actually determines whether CVE-2024-47880 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.
- How do I fix CVE-2024-47880? Upgrade
org.openrefine:openrefineto 3.8.3 or later.