CVE-2024-52800

veraPDF CLI has potential XXE (XML External Entity Injection) vulnerability

Workarounds

This doesn't affect the standard validation and policy checks functionality, veraPDF's common use cases. Most veraPDF users don't insert any custom XSLT code into policy profiles, which are based on Schematron syntax rather than direct XSL transforms. For users who do, only load custom policy files from sources you trust.

References

Original issue: #1488

Executing policy checks using custom schematron files via the CLI invokes an XSL transformation that may theoretically lead to a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability.

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.

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1. What is CVE-2024-52800? CVE-2024-52800 is a low-severity XML external entity injection (XXE) vulnerability in org.verapdf:core (maven), affecting versions <= 1.26.1. It is fixed in 1.26.2. An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs.
2. Which packages are affected by CVE-2024-52800?
   • org.verapdf:core (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:core-jakarta (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:core-arlington (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:verapdf-library (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:library (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:library-jakarta (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
   • org.verapdf:library-arlington (maven) (versions <= 1.26.1)
3. Is there a fix for CVE-2024-52800? Yes. CVE-2024-52800 is fixed in 1.26.2. Upgrade to this version or later.
4. Is CVE-2024-52800 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2024-52800 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
5. What actually determines whether CVE-2024-52800 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.
6. How do I fix CVE-2024-52800?
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:core to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:core-jakarta to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:core-arlington to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:verapdf-library to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:library to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:library-jakarta to 1.26.2 or later
   • Upgrade org.verapdf:library-arlington to 1.26.2 or later

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