Gotenberg has Unauthenticated RCE via ExifTool Metadata Key Injection

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

9.8 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2026-42589: 3.01% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 87.43 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Unauthenticated RCE in Gotenberg via Metadata Key Newline Injection Summary Gotenberg's /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write HTTP endpoint accepts a JSON metadata object and passes its keys directly to ExifTool via the go-exiftool library. No validation is performed on key characters. A \n embedded in a JSON key splits the ExifTool stdin stream into a new argument line, allowing an attacker to inject arbitrary ExifTool flags — including -if, which evaluates Perl expressions. This achieves unauthenticated OS command execution in a single HTTP request. The response is HTTP 200 with a valid PDF, making the attack transparent to basic monitoring. Vulnerability Details | Field | Value | |------------------|------------------------------------------| | Product | Gotenberg | | Version | 8.29.1 (default gotenberg/gotenberg:8) | | Component | pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint | | CWE | CWE-78 — Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command | Affected Code Product: Gotenberg…

Published by the source

7 May 2026, 00:55 UTC

Last modified by the source

14 May 2026, 20:52 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 15:22 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-rqgh-gxv4-6657

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-42589

Advisory: Gotenberg has Unauthenticated RCE via ExifTool Metadata Key Injection
IDs: CVE-2026-42589, GHSA-rqgh-gxv4-6657
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-42589 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 15:22 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.8)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor response not established. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Go github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/v8: affected >= 8.29.1, <= 8.29.1

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Go github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/v8: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
No complete vendor fix is recorded. Follow the primary source's mitigation guidance and check this record again before closing anything.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/v8.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-rqgh-gxv4-6657 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-rqgh-gxv4-6657 lists affected ranges: Go github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/v8 >=8.29.1 <=8.29.1)

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