GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc is a high-severity (CVSS 8.2) vulnerability in org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app. A fix is available for org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app — see the affected versions and patch details below.
GeoNetwork affected by XML External Entity (XXE) processing vulnerability in WFS indexing REST API endpoint
Real-World Exposure
org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app☕org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app☕org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvester☕org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvesterReal-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
Impact
GeoNetwork WFS Index functionality is affected by GeoTools XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability during schema validation.
This vulnerability is particularly severe as the REST API endpoint was not secured, potentially allowing unauthenticated attackers to read sensitive files
Patches
GeoNetwork 4.4.8 / 4.2.13.
Workarounds
Remove the gn-wfsfeature-harvester and gn-camelPeriodicProducer jars, disabling the WFS Index functionality.
References
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app | ≥ 4.4.0&&< 4.4.8 | 4.4.8org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app:4.4.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app | ≥ 4.2.0&&< 4.2.13 | 4.2.13org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app:4.2.13 |
| ☕Maven | org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvester | ≥ 4.4.0&&< 4.4.8 | 4.4.8org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvester:4.4.8 |
| ☕Maven | org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvester | ≥ 4.2.0&&< 4.2.13 | 4.2.13org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvester:4.2.13 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app to 4.4.8 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc 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 GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.