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GotenbergApplication · Thecodingmachine

CVE-2026-42589

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.31.0 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
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.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Gotenberg versions before 8.31.0 contain an unauthenticated command injection vulnerability in the /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint. The JSON key values are passed directly to ExifTool without validation, allowing newline characters to inject arbitrary ExifTool flags including -if which can execute Perl expressions for OS command execution. The attack succeeds with a single HTTP request and returns HTTP 200 with a valid PDF, making it undetectable by basic monitoring.

MitigationUpgrade Gotenberg to version 8.31.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate upgrade is not possible, disable or restrict access to the /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint via network segmentation or authentication proxy.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
GotenbergApplication
Affected:< 8.31.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Gotenberg version
    Check the running Gotenberg container or binary version using 'gotenberg --version' or inspect the container image tag. If using Docker, run 'docker ps' to find the container, then 'docker inspect <container_id>' to view image labels including version.
    Affected if The installed version is any version before 8.31.0 (e.g., 8.30.0, 8.0.0, 7.x, etc.)
  2. Verify ExifTool integration for metadata writes
    Gotenberg uses ExifTool internally for the /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint. Confirm ExifTool is invoked by reviewing Gotenberg logs when metadata write operations are performed. Check if PDF metadata manipulation feature is in use.
    Affected if The metadata/write endpoint is actively used or accessible, and Gotenberg passes user-supplied JSON keys directly to ExifTool without sanitization.
  3. Assess network exposure of the vulnerable endpoint
    Review reverse proxy, API gateway, or firewall rules to determine if /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint is exposed to unauthenticated network access. Check for any firewall rules or network policies allowing external traffic to port 3000 (default Gotenberg port) or the exposed HTTP port.
    Affected if The /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint is reachable from untrusted networks without authentication or network segmentation.
  4. Confirm ExifTool execution capability
    The vulnerability allows injection of ExifTool flags including -if to execute Perl expressions. If Gotenberg is running with ExifTool installed and the metadata write endpoint is accessible, arbitrary command execution is possible.
    Affected if ExifTool is installed and executable by the Gotenberg process, enabling the -if flag injection to execute OS commands.

A user is affected if Gotenberg version is below 8.31.0 AND the /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint is accessible (even locally) with ExifTool available to the Gotenberg process.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.31.0 or later
Fixed in 8.31.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Gotenberg to version 8.31.0 or later to remediate this vulnerability. If immediate upgrade is not possible, disable or restrict access to the /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint via network segmentation or authentication proxy.

Recommended fix High confidence

8.31.0

  1. Stop the currently running Gotenberg container
  2. Pull the Gotenberg Docker image version 8.31.0: docker pull gotenberg/gotenberg:8.31.0
  3. Remove the old container: docker rm <container_name>
  4. Start a new container with the fixed image: docker run -d -p 3000:3000 gotenberg/gotenberg:8.31.0
  5. Verify the container is running: docker ps
  6. Test the /forms/pdfengines/metadata/write endpoint to confirm the fix is applied

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Gotenberg Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,752.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-42589 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data