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GeoNetwork affected by XML External Entity (XXE) processing vulnerability in WFS indexing REST API endpoint

High severity GitHub Reviewed Published Jun 10, 2025 in geonetwork/core-geonetwork • Updated Jun 10, 2025

Package

maven org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-web-app (Maven)

Affected versions

>= 4.4.0, <= 4.4.7
>= 4.2.0, <= 4.2.12

Patched versions

4.4.8
4.2.13
maven org.geonetwork-opensource:gn-wfsfeature-harvester (Maven)
>= 4.4.0, <= 4.4.7
>= 4.2.0, <= 4.2.12
4.4.8
4.2.13

Description

Impact

GeoNetwork WFS Index functionality is affected by GeoTools XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability during schema validation.

This vulnerability is particularly severe as the REST API endpoint was not secured, potentially allowing unauthenticated attackers to read sensitive files

Patches

GeoNetwork 4.4.8 / 4.2.13.

Workarounds

Remove the gn-wfsfeature-harvester and gn-camelPeriodicProducer jars, disabling the WFS Index functionality.

References

References

@jodygarnett jodygarnett published to geonetwork/core-geonetwork Jun 10, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jun 10, 2025
Reviewed Jun 10, 2025
Last updated Jun 10, 2025

Severity

High

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
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
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:U/C:H/I:N/A:L

EPSS score

Weaknesses

CVE ID

No known CVE

GHSA ID

GHSA-2p76-gc46-5fvc

Source code

Credits

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