Gotenberg is a Docker-powered stateless API for PDF files. In versions 8.30.1 and earlier, the metadata write endpoint validates metadata keys for control characters but leaves metadata values unsanitized. A newline character in a metadata value splits the ExifTool stdin line into two separate arguments, allowing injection of arbitrary ExifTool pseudo-tags such as -FileName, -Directory, -SymLink, and -HardLink. This is a bypass of the incomplete key-sanitization fix introduced in v8.30.1. An unauthenticated attacker can rename or move any PDF being processed to an arbitrary path in the container filesystem, overwrite arbitrary files, or create symlinks and hard links at arbitrary paths.
Advisories
| Source | ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
Github GHSA |
GHSA-q7r4-hc83-hf2q | Gotenberg has ExifTool stdin argument injection via metadata value newlines (bypass of key sanitization fix) |
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Wed, 06 May 2026 23:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| First Time appeared |
Gotenberg
Gotenberg gotenberg |
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| Vendors & Products |
Gotenberg
Gotenberg gotenberg |
Wed, 06 May 2026 21:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Gotenberg is a Docker-powered stateless API for PDF files. In versions 8.30.1 and earlier, the metadata write endpoint validates metadata keys for control characters but leaves metadata values unsanitized. A newline character in a metadata value splits the ExifTool stdin line into two separate arguments, allowing injection of arbitrary ExifTool pseudo-tags such as -FileName, -Directory, -SymLink, and -HardLink. This is a bypass of the incomplete key-sanitization fix introduced in v8.30.1. An unauthenticated attacker can rename or move any PDF being processed to an arbitrary path in the container filesystem, overwrite arbitrary files, or create symlinks and hard links at arbitrary paths. | |
| Title | Gotenberg vulnerable to argument injection via newlines in ExifTool metadata values | |
| Weaknesses | CWE-88 | |
| References |
| |
| Metrics |
cvssV3_1
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Projects
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Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: GitHub_M
Published:
Updated: 2026-05-06T20:46:47.960Z
Reserved: 2026-04-10T20:22:44.034Z
Link: CVE-2026-40281
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2026-05-06T21:16:01.353
Modified: 2026-05-06T21:16:01.353
Link: CVE-2026-40281
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-05-06T23:00:15Z
Weaknesses
Github GHSA