vulnerability / NVI-00013987 / Revision 1
Yamcs vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via instance-template argument YAML injection (createInstance)
GitHub lists this reviewed advisory for org.yamcs:yamcs-core, org.yamcs:yamcs-core. Published version ranges and source prerequisites are shown below; this is not an inspection of a visitor’s application.
This report has not inspected your inventory, configuration, deployed build, reachability or evidence. A catalog listing and a severity score do not establish exposure or compromise.
01 / Meaning
Why it matters
Published affected context helps an owner decide what evidence to gather. This report has not examined your application.
9.8 critical
GitHub source severity; exploitability and local consequence require separate evidence.
As of · GitHub Advisory Database
02 / Applicability
The affected context
Affected versions, configuration prerequisites and known exclusions are public. Confirm each one against the deployed service.
org.yamcs:yamcs-core
source listed>= 5.13.0, <= 5.13.1
### Summary `templateArgs` sent to `POST /api/instances` (and `PATCH /api/instances/{instance}`) are written into the rendered instance config as raw text, then parsed as YAML and loaded. Yamcs instantiates each `services:` entry by its `class:`, so injecting YAML through a template arg lets you add a `services:` entry for `org.yamcs.ProcessRunner` and run a command on the host. The args aren't escaped for YAML or validated server-side. Needs the `CreateInstances` privilege. With no `security.yaml` the `guest` user is `superuser=true` and the API is unauthenticated, so it's reachable without auth, same default exposure as CVE-2026-46562. The 5.12.7 algorithm-edit fix doesn't touch this path. ### Details `VarStatement` appends arg values with no escaping: ```java // yamcs-core/src/main/java/org/yamcs/templating/VarStatement.java:29 buf.append(value); ``` The only filter, `EscapeFilter`, does HTML escaping (`& ' "`) and leaves newlines, colons and indentation alone, so `{{ x | escape }}` doesn't help either. `InstancesApi.createInstance` forwards the args without checking them against the declared variables; the `choices` / `required` metadata is only used to render the web
org.yamcs:yamcs-core
source listed<= 5.12.7
### Summary `templateArgs` sent to `POST /api/instances` (and `PATCH /api/instances/{instance}`) are written into the rendered instance config as raw text, then parsed as YAML and loaded. Yamcs instantiates each `services:` entry by its `class:`, so injecting YAML through a template arg lets you add a `services:` entry for `org.yamcs.ProcessRunner` and run a command on the host. The args aren't escaped for YAML or validated server-side. Needs the `CreateInstances` privilege. With no `security.yaml` the `guest` user is `superuser=true` and the API is unauthenticated, so it's reachable without auth, same default exposure as CVE-2026-46562. The 5.12.7 algorithm-edit fix doesn't touch this path. ### Details `VarStatement` appends arg values with no escaping: ```java // yamcs-core/src/main/java/org/yamcs/templating/VarStatement.java:29 buf.append(value); ``` The only filter, `EscapeFilter`, does HTML escaping (`& ' "`) and leaves newlines, colons and indentation alone, so `{{ x | escape }}` doesn't help either. `InstancesApi.createInstance` forwards the args without checking them against the declared variables; the `choices` / `required` metadata is only used to render the web
03 / Response
What to do next
- investigate
Identify the exact component and deployed version, examine the linked publisher’s conditions, and retain evidence of any mitigation.
Confirm current vendor support, compatibility and deployment evidence. This report has not tested a fix in your system. GitHub Advisory Database
A fixed release is not deployment evidence.
Check current vendor support and compatibility. After making a change, verify the deployed build and relevant runtime conditions. Keep the evidence, owner and time. An updated lockfile alone does not prove what is running.
04 / Limits
What this report cannot establish
- Customer inventory, deployment, reachability and exploitation have not been inspected.
05 / Provenance
Sources you can inspect
Each assertion retains its source. Mirrored records may repeat one underlying publisher; additional links are not independent corroboration.
- GHSA-73mf-m39p-wpm9 ↗
GitHub Advisory Database · vendor advisory
Observed . GitHub Advisory Database; CC-BY-4.0. Each advisory links its original attribution. Null normalizes fields.
Public revision history
Only published revisions appear here. Routine fetches do not create a material-change event.
- Revision 1 ·
First indexed by Null; source disclosure date is shown separately.