---
id: "CVE-2026-49875"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-49875", "GHSA-xw5h-cmh3-8j6j"]
title: "Apache CXF has Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference"
severity: "critical"
cvss: 9.8
epss: 0.00516
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "org.apache.cxf:cxf-core", "fixed": ["4.2.2"], "affected": ">= 4.2.0, < 4.2.2", "ecosystem": "maven"}, {"name": "org.apache.cxf:cxf-core", "fixed": ["4.1.7"], "affected": ">= 4.0.0, < 4.1.7", "ecosystem": "maven"}, {"name": "org.apache.cxf:cxf-core", "fixed": ["3.6.12"], "affected": "< 3.6.12", "ecosystem": "maven"}, {"name": "apache cxf", "fixed": ["4.1.7"], "affected": "< 4.1.7", "ecosystem": "vendor"}, {"name": "apache cxf", "fixed": ["4.2.2"], "affected": ">= 4.2.0, < 4.2.2", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["maven", "vendor"]
tags: ["apache-cxf", "cwe-611", "java", "maven", "package", "soap", "web-services"]
not_affected_if: ["no-cxf-core-dependency"]
published_at: "2026-06-12T10:16:22+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-26T16:19:36+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-26T16:31:01+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "ghsa", "url": "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xw5h-cmh3-8j6j", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-26T16:19:36+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49875", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-26T16:31:01+00:00"}]
---

# Apache CXF has Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

Apache CXF's EndpointReferenceUtils and W3CMultiSchemaFactory build an XML parser without the standard hardening, so attacker-supplied XML can make the server fetch external entities. An attacker can use this to read data from the server and reach internal resources through out-of-band exfiltration.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- maven:org.apache.cxf:cxf-core affected >= 4.2.0, < 4.2.2 fixed 4.2.2
- maven:org.apache.cxf:cxf-core affected >= 4.0.0, < 4.1.7 fixed 4.1.7
- maven:org.apache.cxf:cxf-core affected < 3.6.12 fixed 3.6.12
- vendor:apache cxf affected < 4.1.7 fixed 4.1.7
- vendor:apache cxf affected >= 4.2.0, < 4.2.2 fixed 4.2.2

## How to check

- Check the cxf-core version in the project's dependency tree, for example with `mvn dependency:tree | grep cxf-core`
- Look for cxf-core versions in the range `4.2.0` to `4.2.2` (exclusive), `4.0.0` to `4.1.7` (exclusive), or below `3.6.12`

## Fix

- Upgrade `org.apache.cxf:cxf-core` to `4.2.2` on the 4.2 line, to `4.1.7` on the 4.1 line, or to `3.6.12` on the 3.6 line

## Timeline

- 2026-10-26T16:19:36+00:00 ghsa https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-xw5h-cmh3-8j6j
- 2026-10-26T16:31:01+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49875

## From the sources

Apache CXF's EndpointReferenceUtils and W3CMultiSchemaFactory classes construct a SAXParserFactory without the necessary JAXP hardening configurations, enabling out-of-band (OOB) 
external entity resolution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.2 or 4.1.7 or 3.6.12, which fix this issue.

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