CVE-2014-2296
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedXML external entity (XXE) vulnerability in java/org/jasig/cas/util/SamlUtils.java in Jasig CAS server before 3.4.12.1 and 3.5.x before 3.5.2.1, when Google Accounts Integration is enabled, allows remote unauthenticated users to bypass authentication via crafted XML data.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceXXE vulnerability in Jasig CAS SAML utility (SamlUtils.java) when Google Accounts Integration is enabled. Remote attackers can send crafted XML with malicious external entity references to bypass authentication entirely.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 3.4.12.1>= 3.5, < 3.5.2.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed CAS versionLocate the cas.properties file in your CAS deployment (commonly in /cas.properties or in the WEB-INF/classes directory). Look for a 'cas.version' property or check the build configuration (pom.xml) for the version number.Affected if The installed version is less than 3.4.12.1, OR is 3.5.x through 3.5.2.0 (inclusive)
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Determine if Google Accounts Integration is configuredIn the same cas.properties file, search for properties starting with 'googleAccounts.' or 'google.saml.' These typically include settings like googleAccounts.url, googleAccounts.domain, or similar Google SSO configuration parameters.Affected if Any Google Accounts or Google SAML integration properties are present and populated in the configuration
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Verify the GoogleAccountsHandler bean is registeredLocate the deployerConfigContext.xml file in the WEB-INF directory. Search for a bean definition with id or class containing 'GoogleAccountsHandler' or similar Google authentication handler.Affected if A GoogleAccountsHandler bean is defined in the deployment configuration
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Confirm XML parser allows external entities (if assessable)Check the SamlUtils.java or equivalent SAML processing code in your deployment, or check the JVM system properties for DTD and external entity processing settings (such as XMLConstants.ACCESS_EXTERNAL_DTD or XMLConstants.ACCESS_EXTERNAL_SCHEMA).Affected if The XML parser configuration permits external entity processing (default behavior in unpatched versions)
You are affected if your CAS version falls within the vulnerable range AND Google Accounts Integration is enabled in your configuration.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data3.4.12.13.5.2.1
Upgrade to Jasig CAS 3.4.12.1/3.5.2.1 or later. If upgrade is not immediately feasible, disable Google Accounts Integration and ensure XML parsers disable external entity processing.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2014-2296 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2014-2296 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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