Description
The web-based admin console in H2 Database Engine before 2.2.220 can be started via the CLI with the argument -webAdminPassword, which allows the user to specify the password in cleartext for the web admin console. Consequently, a local user (or an attacker that has obtained local access through some means) would be able to discover the password by listing processes and their arguments. NOTE: the vendor states "This is not a vulnerability of H2 Console ... Passwords should never be passed on the command line and every qualified DBA or system administrator is expected to know that." Nonetheless, the issue was fixed in 2.2.220.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | h2database | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 13 | h2database | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | h2database | No fix yet | — |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maven | com.h2database:h2 | >= 1.4.198, < 2.2.220 | 2.2.220 | GHSA-22wj-vf5f-wrvj |
Advisories 3
- ICSA-25-261-04 Multiple Open-Source Software Vulnerabilities in Hitachi Energy Asset Suite Product CISA ICS & IT advisories · Aug 26, 2025
- WID-SEC-2022-2219 H2: Schwachstelle ermöglicht Privilegieneskalation BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Dec 17, 2024
- WID-SEC-2024-0107 Oracle Communications Applications: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Jan 16, 2024
References
- https://sites.google.com/sonatype.com/vulnerabilities/sonatype-2022-6243
- https://github.com/h2database/h2database/blob/96832bf5a97cdc0adc1f2066ed61c54990d66ab5/h2/src/main/org/h2/server/web/WebServer.java#L346-L347
- https://github.com/h2database/h2database/issues/3686
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-22wj-vf5f-wrvj
- https://github.com/h2database/h2database/pull/3833
- https://github.com/h2database/h2database/releases/tag/version-2.2.220