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DerbyApplication · Apache

CVE-2015-1832

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.0 Published 2016-10-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
XML external entity (XXE) vulnerability in the SqlXmlUtil code in Apache Derby before 10.12.1.1, when a Java Security Manager is not in place, allows context-dependent attackers to read arbitrary files or cause a denial of service (resource consumption) via vectors involving XmlVTI and the XML datatype.

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 confidence

Apache Derby versions before 10.12.1.1 contain an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability in the SqlXmlUtil component. When no Java Security Manager is configured, attackers can exploit XmlVTI and XML datatype features to inject malicious XML containing external entity references, enabling arbitrary file system reads or denial of service through resource exhaustion.

MitigationUpgrade Apache Derby to version 10.12.1.1 or later; alternatively, implement a restrictive Java Security Manager policy to limit file system and network access for the Derby runtime.

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
DerbyApplication
Affected:= 10.1.1.0= 10.1.2.1= 10.1.3.1= 10.2.1.6= 10.2.2.0= 10.3.3.0= 10.4.1.3= 10.4.2.0= 10.5.1.1= 10.5.3.0= 10.6.1.0= 10.6.2.1

CVSS 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
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Apache Derby version
    Run 'java -jar derby.jar version' or check the DERBY_HOME/lib/derby.jar version manifest, or query the database with 'SELECT * FROM SYSCS_UTIL.SYSCS_VERSION'
    Affected if The installed version matches any of these: 10.1.1.0, 10.1.2.1, 10.1.3.1, 10.2.1.6, 10.2.2.0, 10.3.3.0, 10.4.1.3, 10.4.2.0, 10.5.1.1, 10.5.3.0, 10.6.1.0, or 10.6.2.1
  2. Check if Java Security Manager is configured
    Search for '-Djava.security.manager' in startup scripts, check for policy files specified with '-Djava.security.policy', or inspect JVM process arguments for the Derby JVM
    Affected if No Security Manager is configured; the vulnerability only applies when Derby runs without a restrictive Java Security Manager policy
  3. Verify if XmlVTI or XML datatype features are in use
    Search application code and database objects for 'org.apache.derby.impl.sql.execute.VTI' usage, XML columns defined with 'XML' data type, or queries using XMLPARSE/XMLSERIALIZE functions
    Affected if The application uses XML datatype columns, XMLPARSE, XMLSERIALIZE, or custom VTIs that process XML input from untrusted sources
  4. Check for network exposure
    Examine Derby network server configuration in startup scripts or derby.properties for 'derby.drda.host' and 'derby.drda.port' settings, and verify who can connect
    Affected if Derby network server is enabled and accessible to untrusted users, as remote attackers can exploit the XXE vulnerability

You are affected if your Derby version is one of the listed affected versions, no Java Security Manager is configured, and your application exposes XML parsing functionality through XmlVTI or XML datatypes to potentially untrusted input sources.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Apache Derby to version 10.12.1.1 or later; alternatively, implement a restrictive Java Security Manager policy to limit file system and network access for the Derby runtime.

Recommended fix High confidence

10.12.1.1 or later

  1. Upgrade Apache Derby to version 10.12.1.1 or later
  2. Verify the upgrade by checking the Derby version using the sysinfo command or Connection.getMetaData().getDriverVersion()
  3. Test application functionality to ensure the XML datatype and XmlVTI features work correctly after the upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Derby Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,920
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-1832 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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