XXE in Cyclonedx Cyclonedx-Core-Java
CVE-2025-64518
The CycloneDX core module provides a model representation of the SBOM along with utilities to assist in creating, validating, and parsing SBOMs. Starting in version 2.1.0 and prior to version 11.0.1, the XML `Validator` used by cyclonedx-core-java was not configured securely, making the library vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) injection. The fix for GHSA-683x-4444-jxh8 / CVE-2024-38374 was incomplete in that it only fixed parsing of XML BOMs, but not validation. The vulnerability has been fixed in cyclonedx-core-java version 11.0.1. As a workaround, applications can reject XML documents before handing them to cyclonedx-core-java for validation. This may be an option if incoming CycloneDX BOMs are known to be in JSON format.
Vulnerability class: XXE (XML External Entity)
EPSS: 0.004 (28.6th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.5 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
Affected products
- Cyclonedx Cyclonedx-core-java — versions >= 2.1.0, <11.0.1
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2025-64518?
- CVE-2025-64518 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cyclonedx Cyclonedx-Core-Java, classified under Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (XXE). CVSS score: 7.5/10. Published 2025-11-10.
- How severe is CVE-2025-64518?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.5 out of 10.