CVE-2024-49203 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.2) vulnerability in io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa. A fix is available for io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Querydsl vulnerable to HQL injection through orderBy
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.
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- 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-2024-49203.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2024-49203 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 378,567 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa☕io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-apt☕io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa☕io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-apt☕com.querydsl:querydsl-jpa☕com.querydsl:querydsl-aptReal-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 order by method enables injecting HQL queries. This may cause blind HQL injection, which could lead to leakage of sensitive information, and potentially also Denial Of Service. This vulnerability is present since the original querydsl repository(https://github.com/querydsl/querydsl) where it was assigned preliminary CVE identifier CVE-2024-49203.
Details
Vulnerable code may look as follows:
@GetMapping
public List<Test> getProducts(@RequestParam("orderBy") String orderBy) {
JPAQuery<Test> query = new JPAQuery<Test>(entityManager).from(test);
PathBuilder<Test> pathBuilder = new PathBuilder<>(Test.class, "test");
OrderSpecifier order = new OrderSpecifier(Order.ASC, pathBuilder.get(orderBy));
JPAQuery<Test> orderedQuery = query.orderBy(order);
return orderedQuery.fetch();
}
Where vulnerability is either caused by pathBuilder.get(orderBy) or the orderBy(order) method itself, based on where the security checks are expected.
PoC
Full POC code is available in repository: https://github.com/CSIRTTrizna/CVE-2024-49203/ When we take a look at source code shown in Details section the functionality is as follows:
- Create JPAQuery object instance:
JPAQuery<Test> query = new JPAQuery<Test>(entityManager).from(test);
- Create OrderSpecifier object instance:
PathBuilder<Test> pathBuilder = new PathBuilder<>(Test.class, "test");
OrderSpecifier order = new OrderSpecifier(Order.ASC, pathBuilder.get(orderBy));
Where orderBy variable is user provided input.
- order and run the query
JPAQuery<Test> orderedQuery = query.orderBy(order);
orderedQuery.fetch();
When user goes to URL
/products?orderBy=name+INTERSECT+SELECT+t+FROM+Test+t+WHERE+(SELECT+cast(pg_sleep(10) AS text))='2'+ORDER+BY+t.id
The generated query will look something like this:
select test
from Test test
order by test.name INTERSECT SELECT t FROM Test t WHERE (SELECT cast(pg_sleep(10) AS text))='2' ORDER BY t.id asc
Environment
Library versions used in proof of concept to reproduce the vulnerability:
querydsl-jpa: 6.8.0
querydsl-apt: 6.8.0
hibernate-core: 6.1.1.Final
jakarta.persistence-api: 3.1.0
postgresql: 42.7.4
Impact
The vulnerability is HQL injection, so anyone using source code similar to one provided in details is exposed to potentional information leakage and denial of service.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa | ≥ 6.0.0.M1&&< 6.10.1 | 6.10.1io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa:6.10.1 |
| ☕Maven | io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-apt | ≥ 6.0.0.M1&&< 6.10.1 | 6.10.1io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-apt:6.10.1 |
| ☕Maven | io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa | all versions | 5.6.1io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa:5.6.1 |
| ☕Maven | io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-apt | all versions | 5.6.1io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-apt:5.6.1 |
| ☕Maven | com.querydsl:querydsl-jpa | all versions | No fix |
| ☕Maven | com.querydsl:querydsl-apt | all versions | No fix |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update io.github.openfeign.querydsl:querydsl-jpa to 6.10.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-49203 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2024-49203 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2024-49203. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-49203 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2024-49203 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.