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Metadata export: ValueError message returned to anonymous users (CodeQL information exposure) #240
Description
What: In api/views/metadata_export.py:49, except ValueError as exc wraps the whole export_dataset() call and returns str(exc) with a 400. CodeQL flags this as information exposure through an exception (raised on #239).
Why it matters: The endpoint is public. Any internal ValueError (from the crosswalk, date handling or rdflib) reaches an anonymous user verbatim and is reported as a client error instead of a 500.
Evidence: Only the 2 ValueErrors at exporter.py:106-113 (unknown standard / format) are meant for users.
Fix: Not fixed yet. Validate standard/fmt against crosswalk.standard_ids() / allowed_formats() before the try, and return a fixed message plus export_options(). Let every other exception fall through to the existing generic 500 handler. test_api_018's 400 test still passes.
Activity
fix(api): stop returning exception text from metadata export
anantjain341 commentedon Oct 12, 2026
Fix: Merged into
devin #245. The view now checksstandardandformatagainstexport_options()before exporting and returns a fixed 400 message with the options. Theexcept ValueErrorthat returnedstr(exc)is removed, so every other error falls to the logged generic 500. No migration.Check after deploy:
GET /api/datasets/<uuid>/export/?standard=xyzshould return{"error": "Unknown standard", "options": …}with 400, without the input echoed back.Moving to Ready to test.