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Metabase disclosed CVE-2023-38646, a pre-authentication remote-code-execution flaw that lets unauthenticated attackers retrieve an exposed instance setup token and submit it to the /api/setup/validate endpoint. A malicious H2 JDBC connection string can exploit unsafe database-connection validation and trigger code execution on the Metabase host, potentially giving an attacker operating-system command execution.
The exposure resulted from a 2022 refactoring change that stopped deleting the setup token after initial configuration on affected deployments. Metabase Open Source versions before 0.46.6.1 and Enterprise versions before 1.46.6.1 were affected; Metabase issued an immediate upgrade advisory and released fixes. Internet-facing instances were particularly exposed—researchers estimated roughly 20,000 reachable systems—and a successful compromise could also provide access to data sources connected through Metabase.
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3 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
A January 2022 refactoring removed setup-flow logic that deleted the setup token after configuration, leaving tokens exposed on instances configured after the change.
Researchers detailed CVE-2023-38646, in which an unauthenticated attacker could retrieve an exposed setup token and submit a malicious H2 JDBC connection through /api/setup/validate to execute code on a Metabase host. They estimated roughly 20,000 Metabase instances were internet-exposed.
Metabase released version 0.46.6.1 to remediate the pre-authentication RCE issue and published a security advisory with upgrade instructions.
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Public reporting and proof-of-concept material further detailed exploitation of **Metabase** pre-auth remote code execution vulnerability `CVE-2023-38646`, showing how an unauthenticated attacker could abuse the product's database setup workflow to achieve code execution. Assetnote previously documented the issue as a pre-auth RCE path in Metabase, and later GitHub research described additional tradecraft around the same flaw. The newer technical note outlined an alternative method that configured the connection as PostgreSQL while invoking the `org.h2.Driver`, using H2 connection-string features to trigger execution and reportedly avoid certain "database already in use" errors seen in other approaches. The write-up included example payloads using `CREATE TRIGGER` and `INIT=RUNSCRIPT` to run shell commands or fetch a remote SQL script, lowering the barrier for attackers to weaponize the vulnerability against exposed Metabase instances.
Aug 15, 2026
Metabase disclosed **CVE-2026-59827**, a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability that can lead to remote code execution on the Metabase server when instances use an H2 database connection, including the default sample database. The flaw allows an authenticated user with permission to run native H2 queries to return query result columns of type `OTHER`, causing Metabase to deserialize arbitrary Java objects. The issue carries a **CVSS 9.9** rating and affects versions `1.58.0` through before `1.58.15`, `1.59.0` through before `1.59.12`, `1.60.0` through before `1.60.6.3`, and `1.61.0` through before `1.61.1.4`. A related Metabase code change in the H2 database driver shows the remediation path: the application now checks JDBC result metadata and rejects columns typed as `JAVA_OBJECT` instead of attempting to parse them. That defensive change blocks unsafe handling of serialized Java objects in H2 query results and aligns with the vendor fixes released in versions `1.58.15`, `1.59.12`, `1.60.6.3`, and `1.61.1.4`.
Jul 10, 2026
Metabase disclosed and patched multiple critical vulnerabilities after a zero-day was exploited against **Metabase Cloud**, prompting urgent warnings for organizations running self-hosted instances. The flaws include two unauthenticated SQL injection issues, `CVE-2026-72898` and `CVE-2026-72899`, and a missing authorization vulnerability, `CVE-2026-72900`. According to the advisories, `CVE-2026-72898` can be abused through the `/reset_password` database endpoint to obtain administrator-level access, and both SQL injection bugs are reported as actively exploited. Metabase said its cloud service was patched for customers, while national cybersecurity authorities urged self-hosted users to update immediately. Affected releases earlier than **63.5, 62.9, 61.11, 60.17, 59.21, and 58.24** should be upgraded to those fixed versions or later across the supported `0.58.x` to `0.63.x` branches. The notices emphasize prompt remediation because the vulnerabilities allow remote, unauthenticated compromise of exposed Metabase deployments.
Aug 12, 2026