GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5

Workarounds

If upgrading is not immediately possible:

1. Ensure your Java runtime is configured to disable deprecated SSL protocols
2. Use network-level controls to enforce TLS-only connections
3. Use external tools to verify that deprecated SSL protocols are not allowed.

The GeoIP processor and Kafka source and buffer were using the deprecated "SSL" protocol identifier when creating SSL contexts, potentially allowing the use of insecure SSL protocols instead of modern TLS versions.

Multiple Data Prepper plugins used SSLContext.getInstance("SSL") which could potentially allow the use of deprecated SSL protocols (SSLv2, SSLv3) that have known security vulnerabilities. While modern Java implementations typically default to secure TLS versions even with the "SSL" identifier, explicitly using "TLS" ensures that only secure TLS protocols are negotiated.

The affected components were:

• GeoIP Processor: The DBSource.initiateSSL() method used for downloading GeoIP databases from external sources

• Kafka Plugin: Both CustomClientSslEngineFactory and InsecureSslEngineFactory classes used for Kafka client connections

This could potentially allow connections to negotiate weaker SSL protocols instead of enforcing modern TLS versions, reducing the security of data transmission.

GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 has a CVSS score of 4.8 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, no 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 (2.12.2); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

Data Prepper 2.12.2 contains a fix for this issue.

1. What is GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5? GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in org.opensearch.dataprepper.plugins:geoip-processor (maven), affecting versions >= 2.4.0, < 2.12.2. It is fixed in 2.12.2.
2. How severe is GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5? GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 has a CVSS score of 4.8 (Medium). 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.opensearch.dataprepper.plugins:geoip-processor are affected by GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5? org.opensearch.dataprepper.plugins:geoip-processor (maven) versions >= 2.4.0, < 2.12.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5? Yes. GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 is fixed in 2.12.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 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 GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5 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 GHSA-28GG-8QQJ-FHH5? Upgrade org.opensearch.dataprepper.plugins:geoip-processor to 2.12.2 or later.