Description
Gotenberg is a Docker-powered stateless API for PDF files. In versions 8.30.1 and earlier, the metadata write endpoint validates metadata keys for control characters but leaves metadata values unsanitized. A newline character in a metadata value splits the ExifTool stdin line into two separate arguments, allowing injection of arbitrary ExifTool pseudo-tags such as -FileName, -Directory, -SymLink, and -HardLink. This is a bypass of the incomplete key-sanitization fix introduced in v8.30.1. An unauthenticated attacker can rename or move any PDF being processed to an arbitrary path in the container filesystem, overwrite arbitrary files, or create symlinks and hard links at arbitrary paths.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| gotenberg | gotenberg | <= 8.30.1 | — |
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.
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | govulncheck-vulndb | 0.0.20260723T184607-160000.1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:21483-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
GitHub 2 repositories
-
rabakuku/CVE-2026-40281 ★ 0 · Oct 5, 2026
A Working PoC For CVE-2026-40281
-
0xgh057r3c0n/CVE-2026-40281 ★ 0 · Oct 1, 2026
Gotenberg <= 8.30.1 unauthenticated RCE
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Automated scanner template
A ready-made Nuclei template detects this vulnerability automatically. Vulnerabilities with public scanner templates are typically probed across the internet soon after the template appears — exposed systems should be patched first.
- Gotenberg <= 8.30.1 - Remote Code Execution http/cves/2026/CVE-2026-40281.yaml
Source: projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates (MIT) — updated daily. Only links are listed.
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/v7 | all versions | — | GO-2026-5572 |
| Go | github.com/gotenberg/gotenberg/v8 | < 8.31.0 | 8.31.0 | GHSA-q7r4-hc83-hf2q |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2026:21483-1 Security update for govulncheck-vulndb SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 31, 2026