GHSA-3pg4-qwc8-426r — openrefine
Fix: OpenRefine/OpenRefine@07dd61eGHSA-3pg4-qwc8-426r is a security vulnerability in org.openrefine:openrefine. A fix is available for org.openrefine:openrefine — see the affected versions and patch details below.
OpenRefine leaks Google API credentials in releases
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
Impact
OpenRefine releases contain Google API authentication keys ("client id" and "client secret") which can be extracted from released artifacts. For instance, download the package for OpenRefine 3.8.2 on linux. It contains the file openrefine-3.8.2/webapp/extensions/gdata/module/MOD-INF/lib/openrefine-gdata.jar, which can be extracted.
This archive then contains the file com/google/refine/extension/gdata/GoogleAPIExtension.java, which contains the following lines:
// For a production release, the second parameter (default value) can be set
// for the following three properties (client_id, client_secret, and API key) to
// the production values from the Google API console
private static final String CLIENT_ID = System.getProperty("ext.gdata.clientid", new String(Base64.getDecoder().decode("ODk1NTU1ODQzNjMwLWhkZWwyN3NxMDM5ZjFwMmZ0aGE2M2VvcWFpY2JwamZoLmFwcHMuZ29vZ2xldXNlcmNvbnRlbnQuY29t")));
private static final String CLIENT_SECRET = System.getProperty("ext.gdata.clientsecret", new String(Base64.getDecoder().decode("R2V2TnZiTnA2a3IxeDd5c3VZNENmYlNo")));
The Base64 encoding can then be decoded to obtain the client id and client secret. Those credentials can then be used by other applications to request access to Google accounts, pretending they are OpenRefine. This assumes that they also get access to the user access tokens, which this vulnerability doesn't expose by itself.
Patches
The bundled credentials should be revoked.
Workarounds
Users should revoke access to their Google account if they have connected it to OpenRefine.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.openrefine:openrefine | all versions | 3.8.3org.openrefine:openrefine:3.8.3 |
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 GHSA-3pg4-qwc8-426r 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-3pg4-qwc8-426r can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-3pg4-qwc8-426r. 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-3pg4-qwc8-426r in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-3pg4-qwc8-426r across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.