Summary
core-geonetwork has an Open Redirect Bypass
GeoNetwork's post-login redirect handling can be bypassed to redirect users to an attacker-controlled external site, even though the code attempts to restrict redirect targets to relative, in-application URLs. This affects both supported SSO login methods: OAuth2/OIDC and Keycloak.
Details
Both the OAuth2/OIDC and Keycloak login filters validate the client-supplied post-login redirect target before forwarding the browser to it, but the validation does not correctly reject every kind of URL that causes the browser to leave the GeoNetwork origin. As a result, a value that is treated as a safe, in-application relative path by the filter can still cause the browser to be redirected to an external, attacker-controlled host.
Impact
An attacker can craft a link to a legitimate GeoNetwork OAuth2/OIDC or Keycloak login endpoint that, after the login flow completes, redirects the victim to an arbitrary external site. This can be used for phishing (e.g., presenting a fake login form) or to chain into other attacks hosted externally. This does not bypass authentication or expose GeoNetwork data directly; the impact is Open Redirect (CWE-601).
GeoNetwork 3.x and 4.0.x are archived/unmaintained and will not receive a fix for this issue. Instances running those lines should upgrade to a supported release (4.2.16 or later, or 4.4.11 or later).
Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites. Typical impact: phishing and credential harvesting via a trusted domain.
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.
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org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetwork to 4.2.16 or later; org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetwork to 4.4.11 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-53573? CVE-2026-53573 is a medium-severity open redirect vulnerability in org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetwork (maven), affecting versions >= 3.12.0, <= 3.12.12. It is fixed in 4.2.16, 4.4.11. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.
- Which versions of org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetwork are affected by CVE-2026-53573? org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetwork (maven) versions >= 3.12.0, <= 3.12.12 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-53573? Yes. CVE-2026-53573 is fixed in 4.2.16, 4.4.11. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-53573 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-53573 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-2026-53573 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-2026-53573?
- Upgrade
org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetworkto 4.2.16 or later - Upgrade
org.geonetwork-opensource:geonetworkto 4.4.11 or later
- Upgrade