castor: XML External Entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted XML document
Published Jun 11, 2014
4.3
MEDIUMCVSS 2.0
EPSS 7.86%
Description
The default configuration for the Xerces SAX Parser in Castor before 1.3.3 allows context-dependent attackers to conduct XML External Entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted XML document.
Affected products
No data.
Configuration 1
- ≤ 1.3.2
- 1.3
- 1.3.1
Configuration 2
- 13.1
- 12.3
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
castor
Affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
castor
Affected
Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3
jasperreports-server-pro
Affected
Red Hat JBoss SOA Platform 4
castor-xml
Will not fix
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | castor | Affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | castor | Affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization 3 | jasperreports-server-pro | Affected | n/a |
| Red Hat JBoss SOA Platform 4 | castor-xml | Will not fix | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This issue affects the version of castor as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and 6. The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this issue as having Moderate security impact. A future update may address this issue. For additional information, refer to the Issue Severity Classification: https://access.redhat.com/security/updates/classification/. Red Hat JBoss SOA Platform 4 is now in Phase 3, Extended Life Support, of its life cycle. This issue has been rated as having Moderate security impact and is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Red Hat JBoss Middleware and Red Hat JBoss Operations Network Product Update and Support Policy: https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/jboss_notes/ Fuse ESB Enterprise 7 is now in Maintenance Support phase receiving only qualified Important and Critical impact security fixes. This issue has been rated as having Moderate security impact and is not currently planned to be addressed in future updates. For additional information, refer to the Fuse Product Life Cycle: https://access.redhat.com/support/policy/updates/fusesource/
Red Hat mitigation
"A configuration file in the Java library directory (e.g. /jdk1.2/lib) can be used to override the default configuration file with system-wide properties. In addition, a configuration file can be placed in the classpath and will override both the system wide properties and Castor-default configuration." [1] Adding the following content in any of the above mentioned configuration files will act as a viable mitigation against this flaw. > org.exolab.castor.sax.features=\ > http://apache.org/xml/features/disallow-doctype-decl > > org.exolab.castor.sax.features-to-disable=\ > http://xml.org/sax/features/external-general-entities,\ > http://xml.org/sax/features/external-parameter-entities,\ > http://apache.org/xml/features/nonvalidating/load-external-dtd Note that using this configuration after upgrading to a version of Castor containing a fix for this issue might override any future hardening or changes to default behavior. [1] http://castor.codehaus.org/conf-lib.html
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.1 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
2022–2026- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v2
- EPSS v3
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (14 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 7.86% (0.07857) | 94.52th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 17, 2026 | 7.79% (0.07794) | 93.89th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 9.08% (0.09081) | 94.62th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Mar 17, 2026 | 3.63% (0.03627) | 87.68th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 30, 2025 | 0.78% (0.00778) | 71.40th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 29, 2025 | 1.88% (0.01877) | 72.12th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Mar 17, 2025 | 0.77% (0.00773) | 71.87th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
| Dec 12, 2024 | 1.62% (0.01623) | 88.00th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| May 20, 2024 | 1.62% (0.01623) | 87.48th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 7, 2023 | 1.62% (0.01623) | 85.48th | v3 (v2023.03.01) |
| Mar 6, 2023 | 9.10% (0.09099) | 94.15th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Nov 23, 2022 | 9.10% (0.09099) | 93.98th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Apr 1, 2022 | 9.80% (0.09796) | 93.82th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
| Feb 4, 2022 | 9.80% (0.09796) | 87.25th | v2 (v2022.01.01) |
References (13)
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2014-06/msg00043.html vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEThird Party Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/126854/Castor-Library-XXE-Disclosure.html x_refsource_MISCExploit
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/May/142 mailing-listx_refsource_FULLDISCExploit
- http://secunia.com/advisories/59427 third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIA
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67676 vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDBroken Link
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2014-3004 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1108639 Issue Tracking
- https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jwwr-fjgh-cv2x Advisory
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3004
- https://quickview.cloudapps.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvm56811 x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-3004
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html x_refsource_MISC
| Link | Providers | Tags |
|---|---|---|
| http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-updates/2014-06/msg00043.html | vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSEThird Party Advisory | |
| http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/126854/Castor-Library-XXE-Disclosure.html | x_refsource_MISCExploit | |
| http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2014/May/142 | mailing-listx_refsource_FULLDISCExploit | |
| http://secunia.com/advisories/59427 | third-party-advisoryx_refsource_SECUNIA | |
| http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/67676 | vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDBroken Link | |
| https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2014-3004 | Vendor Advisory | |
| https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1108639 | Issue Tracking | |
| https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-jwwr-fjgh-cv2x | Advisory | |
| https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-3004 | ||
| https://quickview.cloudapps.cisco.com/quickview/bug/CSCvm56811 | x_refsource_MISC | |
| https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-3004 | ||
| https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpujan2020.html | x_refsource_MISC | |
| https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2021.html | x_refsource_MISC |
Change history (0)
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