VulnerabilityPublished 14 Aug 2026Updated 17 Aug 2026

CVE-2026-48528: NCEAS metacat · SQL Injection

Affects NCEAS metacatSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical : upgrade to 3.4.1 as a priority.

Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

9.8Critical

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 41% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in 3.4.1

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 14 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 13 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade metacat and nceas/metacat to 3.4.1.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
NCEASmetacat	Affected >=2.0.0 <3.4.1	Fixed in 3.4.1
GitHubnceas/metacat`pkg:github/nceas/metacat`Other threats	Affected <3.4.1	Fixed in 3.4.1

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AI-suggested

A full fix is available in Metacat version 3.4.1. Deployments should upgrade to this version to remediate the vulnerability. If immediate upgrade is not possible, the vendor recommends disabling the vulnerable /cn REST API endpoints by removing the servlet and servlet-mapping entries for edu.ucsb.nceas.metacat.restservice.v1.CNRestServlet and edu.ucsb.nceas.metacat.restservice.v2.CNRestServlet from the web application configuration (e.g., web.xml in Tomcat). This temporary mitigation does not reduce functionality for most deployments as these endpoints are primarily used by DataONE Coordinating Node deployments.

Description

Metacat is data repository software that helps researchers preserve, share, and discover data. Metacat versions 2.0.0 through 3.4.0 contain an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the `/cn/v1/object` and `/cn/v2/object` REST API endpoints due to unsanitized user input that can be passed through to the backend SQL database. The `nodeId` parameter can be modified to inject SQL commands, and the results are returned in error messages. Metacat appends the user-supplied data into the sql query without sanitization or parameterization. This allows extraction of arbitrary data from the underlying PostgresQL database, fully exposing protected information to the attacker. This is accomplished by leveraging the error reporting mechanisms in Metacat, where SQL error responses are mirrored back to the caller in the XML error message returned by Metacat. One approach, for example, is to use the PostgreSQL `CAST` function to generate an error with the results of an arbitrary subquery, which is then injected into the XML error message returned by Metacat. Attackers do not need to be authenticated to execute the attack. In addition, arbitrary SQL statements that insert, update, and delete data in the Metacat database can be executed, resulting in full compromise of all data in the database. Full proof of concept attacks have been developed and verified for these vulnerabilities. The impact of this vulnerability is critical for Metacat deployments in the DataONE network where information from the database can be exfiltrated, added, changed, or deleted. This includes management information about the data catalog, access log information about who accessed data, identifying information about individuals including their ORCID identifier and client IP address, access control information about who should be able to access and modify data, and other critical internals of the data system. This sql injection vulnerability was remediated fully in Metacat version 3.4.1. If upgrading to Metacat 3.4.1 isn't immediately possible, most deployments can mitigate the issue by disabling the `/cn` REST endpoints in the webapp deployment. This API is not needed or used by member repositories in the DataONE network, as it is only used by the DataONE Coordinating Node deployments. Consequently, this API can be disabled without reduction of functionality for most deployments. To disable the vulnerable endpoints, simply remove the servlet and servlet-mapping for the `/cn` endpoints in the servlet engine associated with the two servlets, `edu.ucsb.nceas.metacat.restservice.v1.CNRestServlet` and `edu.ucsb.nceas.metacat.restservice.v2.CNRestServlet`. For example, in Tomcat, remove the relevant `servlet-mapping` elements from the application web.xml file in Metacat.

Impact

The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the Metacat PostgreSQL database. This results in full compromise of all data stored in the database, including sensitive management, access log, identity, and access control information. Attackers can exfiltrate, add, modify, or delete data, severely impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system. The critical CVSS score of 9.8 reflects the high severity and ease of exploitation without authentication.

Summary

Metacat versions 2.0.0 through 3.4.0 have an unauthenticated SQL injection vulnerability in the /cn/v1/object and /cn/v2/object REST API endpoints. The nodeId parameter is not sanitized or parameterized before being appended to SQL queries, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary SQL commands. Exploitation can lead to extraction of protected data and execution of insert, update, or delete statements on the PostgreSQL backend. Error messages returned by Metacat reveal SQL error details, facilitating data exfiltration. The vulnerability is critical for deployments in the DataONE network, exposing sensitive catalog, access, and identity information. The issue is fully fixed in Metacat 3.4.1. Temporary mitigation involves disabling the vulnerable /cn endpoints by removing the associated servlets and servlet mappings in the web application configuration.

CWE-89Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command (SQL Injection) (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighCWE Top 25 (2025): #2OWASP Top 10 A05:2025: Injection (opens in a new tab)
The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.
Architecture and Design · Libraries or Frameworks
Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
Architecture and Design · Parameterization
If available, use structured mechanisms that automatically enforce the separation between data and code. These mechanisms may be able to provide the relevant quoting, encoding, and validation automatically, instead of relying on the developer to provide this capability at every point where output is generated.
Architecture and Design · Operation · Environment Hardening
Run your code using the lowest privileges that are required to accomplish the necessary tasks. If possible, create isolated accounts with limited privileges that are only used for a single task. That way, a successful attack will not immediately give the attacker access to the rest of the software or its environment.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Query Parameterization (opens in a new tab)
Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards (opens in a new tab)
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
XML External Entity Prevention (opens in a new tab)
File Upload (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.3.4 (opens in a new tab)
V5.3.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.5.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Command Line Execution through SQL Injection (opens in a new tab)
Object Relational Mapping Injection (opens in a new tab)
SQL Injection through SOAP Parameter Tampering (opens in a new tab)
Expanding Control over the Operating System from the Database (opens in a new tab)
SQL Injection (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).
CWE-287Improper Authentication (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
When an actor claims to have a given identity, the product does not prove or insufficiently proves that the claim is correct.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Libraries or Frameworks
Use an authentication framework or library such as the OWASP ESAPI Authentication feature.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.8.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.4 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Fake the Source of Data (opens in a new tab)
Utilizing REST's Trust in the System Resource to Obtain Sensitive Data (opens in a new tab)
Session Hijacking (opens in a new tab)
Token Impersonation (opens in a new tab)
Upload a Web Shell to a Web Server (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

github.com/NCEAS/metacat/security/advisories/GHSA-6g6j-wh5h-77h5 (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 22 Aug 2026, 13:20 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-89, CWE-287

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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