CVE-2024-47883: Butterfly has path/URL confusion in resource handling leading to multiple weaknesses

Should you act?

Critical and remotely reachable

No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• Not in CISA KEV, but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
• EPSS 1.6%, percentile 76: FIRST’s model estimates a 1.6% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 76% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes org.openrefine.dependencies:butterfly (Maven) < 1.2.6, fixed in 1.2.6. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

The OpenRefine fork of the MIT Simile Butterfly server is a modular web application framework. The Butterfly framework uses the java.net.URL class to refer to (what are expected to be) local resource files, like images or templates. This works: "opening a connection" to these URLs opens the local file. However, prior to version 1.2.6, if a file:/ URL is directly given where a relative path (resource name) is expected, this is also accepted in some code paths; the app then fetches the file, from a remote machine if indicated, and uses it as if it was a trusted part of the app's codebase. This leads to multiple weaknesses and potential weaknesses. An attacker that has network access to the application could use it to gain access to files, either on the the server's filesystem (path traversal) or shared by nearby machines (server-side request forgery with e.g. SMB). An attacker that can lead or redirect a user to a crafted URL belonging to the app could cause arbitrary attacker-controlled JavaScript to be loaded in the victim's browser (cross-site scripting). If an app is written in such a way that an attacker can influence the resource name used for a template, that attacker could cause the app to fetch and execute an attacker-controlled template (remote code execution). Version 1.2.6 contains a patch.

From the GitHub advisory

Summary

The Butterfly framework uses the java.net.URL class to refer to (what are expected to be) local resource files, like images or templates. This works: "opening a connection" to these URLs opens the local file. However, if a file:/ URL is directly given where a relative path (resource name) is expected, this is also accepted in some code paths; the app then fetches the file, from a remote machine if indicated, and uses it as if it was a trusted part of the app's codebase.

This leads to multiple weaknesses and potential weaknesses:

An attacker that has network access to the application could use it to gain access to files, either on the the server's filesystem (path traversal) or shared by nearby machines (server-side request forgery with e.g. SMB). An attacker that can lead or redirect a user to a crafted URL belonging to the app could cause arbitrary attacker-controlled JavaScript to be loaded in the victim's browser (cross-site scripting). If an app is written in such a way that an attacker can influence the resource name used for a template, that attacker could cause the app to fetch and execute an attacker-controlled template (remote code execution).

Details

Weakness type: CWE-36, CWE-918, CWE-22.

Product: org.openrefine.dependencies:butterfly (Maven) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2024-10-24

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: unchanged

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc, automatable no, technical impact partial.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 1.64% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 76.

Timeline

• 2024-10-24 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2024-10-24 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-3p8v-w8mr-m3x8 published (critical)
• 2024-10-25 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-3p8v-w8mr-m3x8 github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2024-47883 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2024-47883 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com

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