CVE-2026-40901: DataEase RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-40901 Overview

DataEase, an open-source data visualization and analytics platform, contains a critical insecure deserialization vulnerability in versions 2.10.20 and below. The vulnerability stems from the bundled velocity-1.7.jar library, which includes commons-collections-3.2.1.jar containing the well-known InvokerTransformer deserialization gadget chain. Combined with Quartz 2.3.2's unsafe deserialization of job data BLOBs from the qrtz_job_details table, an authenticated attacker can achieve full remote code execution on the underlying system.

Critical Impact

An authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary commands as root inside the container by exploiting the deserialization chain, achieving complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• DataEase versions 2.10.20 and below
• Systems bundling velocity-1.7.jar with commons-collections-3.2.1.jar
• Deployments using Quartz 2.3.2 with unfiltered ObjectInputStream deserialization

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-16 - CVE CVE-2026-40901 published to NVD
• 2026-04-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-40901

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-502: Insecure Deserialization. The attack requires network access and low privileges, though the attack complexity involves certain preconditions being met. Successful exploitation leads to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the target system, with potential downstream impacts to connected systems.

The vulnerability chain involves multiple components working together: the legacy Commons Collections library provides the dangerous gadget chain, while the Quartz scheduler provides the deserialization trigger point. The absence of any deserialization filter or class allowlist in Quartz's handling of job data BLOBs creates the exploitable condition.

Root Cause

The root cause is twofold: First, DataEase ships with outdated dependencies (velocity-1.7.jar and commons-collections-3.2.1.jar) that contain known dangerous deserialization gadget chains. Second, Quartz 2.3.2 deserializes job data BLOBs from the qrtz_job_details table using ObjectInputStream without implementing any deserialization filter or class allowlist. This combination allows malicious serialized objects to be deserialized and executed.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires authentication. An attacker who can write to the Quartz job table—potentially through a previously identified SQL injection vulnerability in the previewSql functionality—can inject a malicious CommonsCollections6 gadget chain payload into a scheduled job's JOB_DATA field. When the Quartz cron trigger fires, the application deserializes the malicious payload, executing arbitrary commands with root privileges inside the container.

The exploitation mechanism leverages the InvokerTransformer class from Commons Collections, which allows arbitrary method invocation during deserialization. By crafting a serialized object that chains multiple transformers together, an attacker can construct a payload that executes arbitrary system commands upon deserialization.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-40901

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to the qrtz_job_details table, particularly the JOB_DATA BLOB column
• Anomalous SQL queries targeting Quartz scheduler tables from web application contexts
• Unusual process execution originating from the DataEase container or Java process
• Evidence of serialized Java object payloads containing Commons Collections classes in database records

Detection Strategies

• Monitor database audit logs for unauthorized INSERT or UPDATE operations on qrtz_job_details table
• Implement network-level detection for serialized Java object patterns in HTTP traffic
• Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) to detect deserialization attempts with known gadget chain classes
• Enable Java deserialization logging to identify attempts to instantiate dangerous transformer classes

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting on any modifications to Quartz job data outside of normal application workflows
• Implement file integrity monitoring on the container filesystem to detect post-exploitation artifacts
• Monitor outbound network connections from the DataEase container for potential command-and-control activity
• Review container logs for unexpected process spawning or privilege escalation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-40901

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade DataEase to version 2.10.21 or later immediately
• Audit the qrtz_job_details table for any suspicious or unexpected job data entries
• Restrict database permissions to limit write access to Quartz scheduler tables
• Implement network segmentation to isolate DataEase deployments from sensitive systems

Patch Information

DataEase has released version 2.10.21 which addresses this vulnerability. The fix likely involves updating the vulnerable dependencies and implementing deserialization filters. Refer to the GitHub Release v2.10.21 for the official patch. Additional details are available in the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-gm5q-g72w-c466.

Workarounds

• If immediate patching is not possible, implement a Java deserialization filter using JEP 290 to block known dangerous classes including org.apache.commons.collections.functors.InvokerTransformer
• Remove or replace the vulnerable commons-collections-3.2.1.jar with a patched version (3.2.2 or later) that has dangerous classes disabled
• Implement database-level triggers or constraints to prevent unauthorized modifications to Quartz job tables
• Consider deploying a web application firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block serialized Java object payloads

# Example JVM argument to implement deserialization filter (Java 9+)
# Add to DataEase startup configuration
JAVA_OPTS="-Djdk.serialFilter=!org.apache.commons.collections.functors.*;!org.apache.commons.collections.Transformer"