RCE in Stirling-Tools Stirling-Pdf
CVE-2026-85714
Stirling-PDF is a locally hosted web application that facilitates various operations on PDF files. Prior to 2.13.2, an authenticated administrator using the default H2 database and security mode can upload a crafted SQL file to POST /api/v1/database/import-database. DatabaseService.validateSqlContent() splits normalized input on semicolons and accepts a statement when it contains any allowed keyword, allowing dangerous H2 functions such as FILE_READ and CSVWRITE, plus CREATE ALIAS, to bypass the insufficient whitelist and execute side effects when RUNSCRIPT processes the file. This permits arbitrary file access. The demonstrated operating-system command execution chain writes attacker-controlled startup files to a user-site location and then triggers an application Python interpreter configured to load those startup files, resulting in command execution as the JVM service account. This issue is fixed in version 2.13.2.
Vulnerability class: RCE (Remote Code Execution)
Published .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 9.1 (Critical). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
No EPSS score from FIRST.org yet. New CVEs usually get one within a few days; no score means no signal yet, not low risk. How EPSS works.
Affected products
- Stirling-Tools Stirling-Pdf — versions < 2.13.2
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-85714?
- CVE-2026-85714 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Stirling-Tools Stirling-Pdf, classified under Code Injection. CVSS score: 9.1/10. Published 2026-10-14.
- How severe is CVE-2026-85714?
- Critical severity. CVSS v3 base score is 9.1 out of 10.