CVE-2024-47880 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in org.openrefine:openrefine. 1 public exploit or proof-of-concept reference is indexed, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.openrefine:openrefine — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenRefine has a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability from POST request in ExportRowsCommand
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2024-47880.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.openrefine:openrefineReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Summary
The export-rows command can be used in such a way that it reflects part of the request verbatim, with a Content-Type header also taken from the request.
An attacker could lead a user to a malicious page that submits a form POST that contains embedded JavaScript code. This code would then be included in the response, along with an attacker-controlled Content-Type header, and so potentially executed in the victim's browser as if it was part of OpenRefine.
The attacker must know a valid project ID of a project that contains at least one row.
Details
The malicious form sets contentType to text/html (ExportRowsCommand.java line 101) and preview to true (line 107). This combination causes the browser to treat what OpenRefine thinks of as an export preview as a regular webpage.
It would be safer if the export-rows command did not allow overriding the Content-Type header at all, instead relying on the exporter to provide the correct Content-Type. It could also require a CSRF token. As an additional measure, it could add a Content-Security-Policy header to the response disabling scripts and such entirely.
At least the CSV exporter (separator and lineSeparator fields) and templating exporter (any field) are affected. It may also be possible to inject into the dateSettings.custom field or the SQL exporter default value field, if the project contains date or null cells.
PoC
An example form that demonstrates the issue is available on https://wandernauta.nl/os/.
Impact
Execution of arbitrary JavaScript in the user's browser. The attacker-provided code can do anything the user can do, including deleting projects, retrieving database passwords, or executing arbitrary Jython or Closure expressions, if those extensions are also present.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.openrefine:openrefine | all versions | 3.8.3org.openrefine:openrefine:3.8.3 |
Affected Products
openrefineopenrefineResearch use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.openrefine:openrefine, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.openrefine:openrefine to 3.8.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-47880 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Escape or sanitise the affected output on the server side rather than relying on client-side filtering, and add a Content-Security-Policy that blocks inline script execution so injected markup cannot run even if it reaches the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-47880 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.