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GeoTools has XML External Entity (XXE) Processing Vulnerability in XSD schema handling

Critical severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jun 9, 2025 in geotools/geotools • Updated Jun 9, 2025

Package

maven org.geotools:gt-wfs-ng (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 33.0, < 33.1
>= 32.0, < 32.3
>= 29.0, <= 31.6
< 28.6.1

Patched versions

33.1
32.3
31.7
28.6.1
maven org.geotools:gt-xsd-core (Maven)
= 33.0
>= 32.0, < 32.3
>= 29.0, <= 31.6
< 28.6.1
33.1
32.3
31.7
28.6.1

Description

Summary

GeoTools Schema class use of Eclipse XSD library to represent schema data structure is vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) exploit.

Impact

This impacts whoever exposes XML processing with gt-xsd-core involved in parsing, when the documents carry a reference to an external XML schema. The gt-xsd-core Schemas class is not using the EntityResolver provided by the ParserHandler (if any was configured).

This also impacts users of gt-wfs-ng DataStore where the ENTITY_RESOLVER connection parameter was not being used as intended.

Resolution

GeoTools API change allows EntityResolver to be supplied to the following methods:

Schemas.parse( location, locators, resolvers, uriHandlers, entityResolver);
Schemas.findSchemas(Configuration configuration, EntityResolver entityResolver);

With this API change the gt-wfs-ng WFS DataStore ENTITY_RESOLVER parameter is now used.

Reference

  • GHSA-jj54-8f66-c5pc: Describes the impact of the gt-xsd-core vulnerability on the GeoServer WFS protocol, resulting in both Service Side Request Forgery (SSRF) and Out-of-Band (OOB) data exfiltration of local files.

  • GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc: Describes the impact of the gt-wfs-ng and gt-xsd-core vulnerability on the GeoNetwork WFS Index functionality.

References

@jodygarnett jodygarnett published to geotools/geotools Jun 9, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jun 9, 2025
Reviewed Jun 9, 2025
Last updated Jun 9, 2025

Severity

Critical

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L

EPSS score

Weaknesses

Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

The product processes an XML document that can contain XML entities with URIs that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output. Learn more on MITRE.

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-826p-4gcg-35vw

Source code

Credits

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