CVE-2026-47754
NVD analysis in progress
Metacat is data repository software that helps researchers preserve, share, and discover data. Versions 2.x through 2.19.1 and all 1.x versions contain an unauthenticated path traversal in the `archiveEntryName` parameter of the `action=read` endpoint that is part of the original 1.x Metacat API. `ArchiveHandler.readArchiveEntry()` concatenates the user-supplied parameter into a filesystem path without validation, and the surrounding `hasReadPermission()` check is commented out. An unauthenticated remote attacker can read any file accessible to the Tomcat process by sending a single GET request. Proof-of-concept exploits have been demonstrated and verified against this vulnerability, and it should be considered easily exploitable for any Metacat deployment < 3.0.0 by any user with access to the 1.x API. Through this vulnerability, production 2.x deployments are exposed to credential theft, client certificate and private key exfiltration enabling member node impersonation within the federation, embargoed research data disclosure, and broad system reconnaissance. Given Metacat's deployment footprint across the DataONE network of repositories and federally funded research programs, the population of exposed 2.x instances is non-trivial. The vulnerability was eliminated in Metacat version 3.0.0 and after by eliminating the entire Metacat 1.x API that exposed this vulnerability. The vulnerability was remediated in April 2024 with the release of Metacat 3.0.0, which removed the legacy Metacat API including ArchiveHandler.java. The commit message and issue reference architectural cleanup, not a security fix, and no advisory or CVE was issued. The 2.x branch was not and will not be backported, as is standard practice in Metacat, which only supports the most current release. 2.19.1 remains vulnerable with identical code and is beyond its supported lifetime. As a workaround, disable or restrict 1.x API servlets. Because the vulnerable 1.x API is no longer used or necessary in most Metacat deployments, restricting access to the old API endpoints can reduce or eliminate exposure for 2.19.x deployments. After removing those features, restart Tomcat or whichever software is hosting the servlets.
What this means
- Exposure
- Exploitable remotely over the network, without authentication and with no action from the victim.
- Impact
- An attacker can read sensitive data and alter some data. The impact spreads beyond the vulnerable component into other parts of the system.
- Weakness
- An attacker-supplied file path is not confined, letting them read or write outside the intended folder.
- Likelihood
- Its EPSS score stays low: nothing points to imminent exploitation, which is no reason to leave it unpatched.
What to doPatch without waiting for the next scheduled cycle. Start with the instances exposed to the internet.
Read automatically from the CVSS vector, the weakness type (CWE) and the EPSS score. The technical description above remains the one published by NIST.