CVE-2026-65432
As a result, the protections applied to the top-level document do not extend to imported documents, leaving imported WSDL/XSD content vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) attacks.
Does this matter?
High impact if exploited, but EPSS currently rates exploitation as unlikely (0.65%). Schedule it in the normal patch cycle and watch for a rise in EPSS or a public exploit.
Description
Apache CXF reads a top-level WSDL through its hardened StaxUtils path, which disables XML DTDs and external entities. However, any <wsdl:import> or <xsd:import> referenced from that top-level WSDL is handed off to WSDL4J, which does not disable DOCTYPE declarations or external entities. As a result, the protections applied to the top-level document do not extend to imported documents, leaving imported WSDL/XSD content vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) attacks. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.3 or 4.1.8 or 3.6.12, which fix this issue.
- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- EPSS
- 0.65% probability · 51th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-611
- Affected
- apache/cxf
- Source
- security@apache.org
EPSS 0.7% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
References
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.