GHSA-c2j7-66m3-r4ff
MEDIUMJSPUI's "Internal System Error" page prints exceptions and stack traces without sanitization
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.
Blast Radius
org.dspace:dspace-jspuiReal-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
When an "Internal System Error" occurs in the JSPUI, then entire exception (including stack trace) is available. Information in this stacktrace may be useful to an attacker in launching a more sophisticated attack. This vulnerability only impacts the JSPUI.
This vulnerability does NOT impact the XMLUI or 7.x.
Patches
DSpace 6.x:
- Fixed in 6.4 via commit: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/commit/afcc6c3389729b85d5c7b0230cbf9aaf7452f31a
- 6.x patch file: https://github.com/DSpace/DSpace/commit/afcc6c3389729b85d5c7b0230cbf9aaf7452f31a.patch (may be applied manually if an immediate upgrade to 6.4 or above is not possible)
DSpace 5.x:
- The 6.x patch file can also be applied to an older 5.x installation.
- Alternatively, you can simply apply the workaround documented below. The detailed error information embedded in
internal.jspis not necessary for the JSPUI to function.
Apply the patch to your DSpace
If at all possible, we recommend upgrading your DSpace site based on the upgrade instructions. However, if you are unable to do so, you can manually apply the above patches as follows:
- Download the appropriate patch file to the machine where DSpace is running
- From the
[dspace-src]folder, apply the patch, e.g.git apply [name-of-file].patch - Now, update your DSpace site (based loosely on the Upgrade instructions). This generally involves three steps:
- Rebuild DSpace, e.g.
mvn -U clean package(This will recompile all DSpace code) - Redeploy DSpace, e.g.
ant update(This will copy all updated WARs / configs to your installation directory). Depending on your setup you also may need to copy the updated WARs over to your Tomcat webapps folder. - Restart Tomcat
- Rebuild DSpace, e.g.
Workarounds
The detailed error information embedded in internal.jsp is not necessary for the JSPUI to function. Because this error information is also available in the dspace.log files, it does not need to be displayed in internal.jsp.
Modify your internal.jsp, and disable the display of the error message. This is most easily done by setting the returned exception to "null" at all times. For example, add a new line between line number 43 and 44
// This line should exist around line number 43
Throwable ex = (Throwable) request.getAttribute("javax.servlet.error.exception");
// Add workaround for security issue. Ensure exception is always set to null.
ex = null;
// This line should exist around line number 44
if(ex == null) out.println("No stack trace available<br/>");
References
Discovered & reported by Ozkan Erdogan (Brunel University London)
For more information
If you have any questions or comments about this advisory:
- Email us at [email protected]
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.dspace:dspace-jspui | ≥ 4.0&&< 6.4 | 6.4 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.dspace:dspace-jspui. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.dspace:dspace-jspui to 6.4 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-c2j7-66m3-r4ff 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 pinpoints whether GHSA-c2j7-66m3-r4ff is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-c2j7-66m3-r4ff. 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-c2j7-66m3-r4ff in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-c2j7-66m3-r4ff across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.