SpEL Injection in `PUT /api/v1/policies` in OpenMetadata

Summary

OpenMetadata is a unified platform for discovery, observability, and governance powered by a central metadata repository, in-depth lineage, and seamless team collaboration. `CompiledRule::validateExpression` is also called from `PolicyRepository.prepare`. `prepare()` is called from `EntityRepository.prepareInternal()` which, in turn, gets called from `EntityResource.createOrUpdate()`. Note that even though there is an authorization check (`authorizer.authorize()`), it gets called after `prepareInternal()` gets called and therefore after the SpEL expression has been evaluated. In order to reach this method, an attacker can send a PUT request to `/api/v1/policies` which gets handled by `PolicyResource.createOrUpdate()`. This vulnerability was discovered with the help of CodeQL's Expression language injection (Spring) query and is also tracked as `GHSL-2023-252`. This issue may lead to Remote Code Execution and has been addressed in version 1.3.1. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Timeline

1. Mar 15, 2024, 7:55 PM UTCCVE published
2. Mar 18, 2024, 2:54 PM UTCCISA SSVC assessment

   Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: total

3. Aug 28, 2024, 4:21 PM UTCRecord last updated
4. Oct 28, 2026EPSS reached 10%

   FIRST estimates at least a 10% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Affected versions

• open-metadata OpenMetadata

  fixed in 1.3.1

• org.open-metadata:openmetadata-serviceMaven

  fixed in 1.3.1

References 7