CVE-2018-1000823
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 · uneditedexist version <= 5.0.0-RC4 contains a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in XML Parser for REST Server that can result in Disclosure of confidential data, denial of service, SSRF, port scanning.
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 · moderate confidenceeXist versions 5.0.0-RC4 and earlier contain an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in the REST Server's XML parser. Attackers can exploit this by submitting malicious XML with external entity references to read confidential files, cause denial of service, perform SSRF, or scan internal ports.
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< 5.0.0= 5.0.0CVSS 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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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 eXist versionLocate the eXist installation and check its version (typically found in about file, version metadata, or startup logs)Affected if Version is 5.0.0 or any release candidate up to 5.0.0-RC4 (versions below 5.0.0)
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Confirm REST Server is in useDetermine whether the eXist REST Server endpoint is exposed or configured (check server configuration or running services)Affected if REST Server is accessible or enabled in the deployment
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Check XML parser external entity settingInspect the REST Server XML parser configuration for whether external entity processing is enabled (look for related parser or factory settings in conf/xml)Affected if External entity processing is not explicitly disabled in the parser configuration
User is affected if running eXist version 5.0.0 or earlier AND the REST Server is active with default XML parser settings that allow external entity processing.
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.
dbcve · scoped5.0.0
Disable external entity processing in the REST Server's XML parser configuration, or upgrade to a patched version of eXist.
eXist-db 5.1.0 or later
- 1. Backup your existing eXist-db installation and database
- 2. Download eXist-db version 5.1.0 or later from the official repository (https://github.com/exist-db/exist/releases)
- 3. Stop the currently running eXist-db service
- 4. Install the new version following the standard upgrade procedure
- 5. Restore your database from the backup
- 6. Verify the REST server XML parser is functioning correctly
- 7. Test that the application works as expected with the new version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-1000823 — 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-2018-1000823 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data