What is CVE-2018-11758?

CVE-2018-11758 is a high-severity XML external entity injection (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (maven), affecting versions < 3.1.3. It is fixed in 3.1.3, 4.1. An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs.

How severe is CVE-2018-11758?

CVE-2018-11758 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Which versions of org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent are affected by CVE-2018-11758?

org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (maven) versions < 3.1.3 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2018-11758?

Yes. CVE-2018-11758 is fixed in 3.1.3, 4.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2018-11758 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2018-11758 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

What actually determines whether CVE-2018-11758 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

CVE-2018-11758 in org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent

Q: How severe is CVE-2018-11758?

CVE-2018-11758 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.

Q: Which versions of org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent are affected by CVE-2018-11758?

org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (maven) versions < 3.1.3 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2018-11758?

Yes. CVE-2018-11758 is fixed in 3.1.3, 4.1. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2018-11758 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2018-11758 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2018-11758 is exploitable, and how bad it is?

Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2018-11758?

Upgrade: org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent to 3.1.3 or later, org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent to 4.1 or later.

Summary

XML External Entity Reference in Apache Cayenne

This affects Apache Cayenne 4.1.M1, 3.2.M1, 4.0.M2 to 4.0.M5, 4.0.B1, 4.0.B2, 4.0.RC1, 3.1, 3.1.1, 3.1.2. CayenneModeler is a desktop GUI tool shipped with Apache Cayenne and intended for editing Cayenne ORM models stored as XML files. If an attacker tricks a user of CayenneModeler into opening a malicious XML file, the attacker will be able to instruct the XML parser built into CayenneModeler to transfer files from a local machine to a remote machine controlled by the attacker. The cause of the issue is XML parser processing XML External Entity (XXE) declarations included in XML. The vulnerability is addressed in Cayenne by disabling XXE processing in all operations that require XML parsing.

Impact

An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs. Typical impact: local file disclosure, server-side request forgery, or denial of service.

CVE-2018-11758 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (3.1.3, 4.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Affected versions

org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (< 3.1.3) org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (>= 4.0, < 4.1)

Security releases

org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent → 3.1.3 (maven) org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent → 4.1 (maven)

Kodem intelligence

Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.

Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.

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Remediation advice

Upgrade the following packages to resolve this vulnerability:

org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent to 3.1.3 or later; org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent to 4.1 or later

Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2018-11758? CVE-2018-11758 is a high-severity XML external entity injection (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (maven), affecting versions < 3.1.3. It is fixed in 3.1.3, 4.1. An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs.
How severe is CVE-2018-11758? CVE-2018-11758 has a CVSS score of 8.1 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
Which versions of org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent are affected by CVE-2018-11758? org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent (maven) versions < 3.1.3 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2018-11758? Yes. CVE-2018-11758 is fixed in 3.1.3, 4.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2018-11758 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2018-11758 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
What actually determines whether CVE-2018-11758 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
How do I fix CVE-2018-11758?
- Upgrade org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent to 3.1.3 or later
- Upgrade org.apache.cayenne:cayenne-parent to 4.1 or later