Overview
Apache Jackrabbit, a powerful content repository utilized by numerous web applications, has been found to contain a severe blind XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-53689. This flaw makes it possible for an attacker to compromise the system or leak sensitive data. Given the widespread usage of Apache Jackrabbit in content management systems and enterprise-level applications, this vulnerability could potentially impact a large number of users and organizations. It is therefore crucial to understand the nature of this vulnerability and take prompt action to mitigate its risks.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-53689
Severity: Critical (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Apache Jackrabbit jackrabbit-spi-commons | < 2.23.2 Apache Jackrabbit jackrabbit-core | < 2.23.2 How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability arises from the usage of an insecure document builder to load privileges, which leads to a blind XXE vulnerability. This allows a remote attacker to send specially crafted XML data to the server, which the server interprets and processes. As a result, the attacker can read local files, interact with any backend or external systems that the application can access, or execute arbitrary code depending on the permissions of the user running the application.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using a malicious XML payload:
POST /api/upload HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: text/xml
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!DOCTYPE data [
<!ELEMENT data ANY >
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "file:///etc/passwd" >]>
<data>&xxe;</data>In this example, an attacker attempts to retrieve sensitive information from the target system by defining an external entity (xxe) that points to a local file (`/etc/passwd`). When the server processes the XML, it resolves the entity, reads the file content, and returns it within the response.
Recommendations for Mitigation
Users are strongly advised to upgrade to the patched versions of Apache Jackrabbit – 2.20.17 (Java 8), 2.22.1 (Java 11), or 2.23.2 (Java 11, beta versions) – which contain the necessary fixes for this vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation strategy. However, this is not a long-term solution and may not fully protect against all potential attacks exploiting this vulnerability.