CVE-2026-58400: GeoNetwork vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via unsafe Saxon XSLT processor configuration in formatter

Description

GeoNetwork is a catalog application to manage spatially referenced resources. Prior to versions 4.4.12 and 4.2.17, the Saxon XSLT processor used to render formatters is configured without secure processing (`FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING`) and without disabling Java extension functions (`ALLOW_EXTERNAL_FUNCTIONS`). Any stylesheet loaded by GeoNetwork can therefore invoke `java.lang.Runtime.exec()` or `java.lang.ProcessBuilder` directly, achieving arbitrary command execution as the GeoNetwork process user. A user with sufficient privileges to upload a formatter can deliver a `.xsl` file containing Java extension call that execute arbitrary OS commands with the privileges of the GeoNetwork process. The issue is patched in GeoNetwork versions 4.4.12 and 4.2.17.

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Privileges

High

User interaction

None

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Scope

Changed

Exploitation

Is it being used?

Exploit prediction (EPSS)1.2% · higher than 68% of CVEs

Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet

CISA KEVNot listed

Ransomware campaign useNot known

Affected products

Which versions

CO

core-geonetwork · geonetwork

>= 4.3.0, < 4.4.12; < 4.2.17 · source: vendor