Summary
veraPDF Validation XXE via XFA
Description
An XML External Entity Injection (CWE-611) vulnerability in veraPDF allows a remote attacker to read arbitrary files on the server file system and perform Server-Side Request Forgery by submitting a crafted PDF containing a malicious XFA stream. This affects all current versions of veraPDF-validation.
Details
The vulnerability resides in veraPDF-validation validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDAcroForm.java within the getdynamicRender() method. This method retrieves the /XFA entry from the PDF's /AcroForm dictionary, decodes the embedded XML stream, and parses it to extract the <dynamicRender> element value.
The vulnerability stems from the use of a default-configured DocumentBuilderFactory to parse fully attacker-controlled XML:
- The factory is created via
DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance()with no security features enabled. disallow-doctype-decl, external-general-entities, external-parameter-entities, and FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING are all left at their insecure defaults. - The input passed to
builder.parse()is the decoded /XFA stream taken directly from the untrusted PDF. - The text content of the
<dynamicRender>node is returned to the validation model. Note that the shipped PDF/UA-1 rule (dynamicRender != 'required') consumes this value but does not echo it into the report output, so reliable exfiltration requires the out-of-band parameter-entity technique described under Impact rather than in-band reflection.
Proposed Patch
Harden the DocumentBuilderFactory in validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDAcroForm.java per the OWASP XXE Prevention Cheat Sheet to disallow DOCTYPE outright.
Impact
This impacts all current releases of the veraPDF validation-model module.
Successful exploitation requires only that the target validate an attacker-supplied PDF against the PDF/UA-1 profile (or via flavour auto-detection on a PDF that declares PDF/UA-1 conformance), since getdynamicRender() is invoked by the dynamicRender != 'required' rule in the bundled PDF/UA-1 profile. No additional configuration or operator action is required.
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.
Affected versions
Security releases
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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org.verapdf:validation-model to 1.30.2 or later; org.verapdf:validation-model to 1.31.71 or later; org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta to 1.30.2 or later; org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta to 1.31.71 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-54079? CVE-2026-54079 is a high-severity XML external entity injection (XXE) vulnerability in org.verapdf:validation-model (maven), affecting versions >= 1.17.35, <= 1.30.1. It is fixed in 1.30.2, 1.31.71. An XML parser processes external entity references in untrusted input, causing the server to fetch internal resources or remote URLs.
- Which packages are affected by CVE-2026-54079?
org.verapdf:validation-model(maven) (versions >= 1.17.35, <= 1.30.1)org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta(maven) (versions >= 1.17.35, <= 1.30.1)
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-54079? Yes. CVE-2026-54079 is fixed in 1.30.2, 1.31.71. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-54079 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-54079 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-2026-54079 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-2026-54079?
- Upgrade
org.verapdf:validation-modelto 1.30.2 or later - Upgrade
org.verapdf:validation-modelto 1.31.71 or later - Upgrade
org.verapdf:validation-model-jakartato 1.30.2 or later - Upgrade
org.verapdf:validation-model-jakartato 1.31.71 or later
- Upgrade