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CVE-2026-40281

Gotenberg vulnerable to argument injection via newlines in ExifTool metadata values

Published: May 6, 2026Updated: May 11, 2026 Sources: CVE List NVDCWE-88
10.0CVSSCRITICAL

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.

CVSS Vector Breakdown

AV:NAC:LPR:NUI:NS:CC:NI:HA:H
Exploitability
AV:NAttack Vector
Network
AC:LAttack Complexity
Low
PR:NPrivileges Required
None
UI:NUser Interaction
None
Scope
S:CScope
Changed
Impact
C:NConfidentiality
None
I:HIntegrity
High
A:HAvailability
High

Weaknesses

Affected Products

gotenbergoss-projectCloud & SaaSaka gotenberg

Attack Graph

Products CVE Techniques Tactics

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Exploitability

Official Patch Available

MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique
Execution
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References

Timeline

Published
May 6, 2026
Last Updated
May 11, 2026

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