Description
Gotenberg is a Docker-powered stateless API for PDF files. Prior to 8.31.0, 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. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.31.0.
Affected products
thecodingmachine: gotenberg
References2
- github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/security/advisories/GHSA-rqgh-gx… ExploitMitigationVendor Advisory
- github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/security/advisories/GHSA-rqgh-gx… ExploitMitigationVendor Advisory
Metrics
- CVSS 3.1
-
9.8
CRITICAL
Score source: CNA
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - EPSS — exploit probability
- 3% percentile: 88 · as of 14 November 2026
- CWE
- CWE-78
Could this be exploited in your environment?
A patch closes the known hole. A penetration test shows what an attacker can still reach — with proof.