CayenneApplication · Apache
CVE-2018-11758
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 · uneditedThis affects Apache Cayenne 4.1.M1, 3.2.M1, 4.0.M2 to 4.0.M5, 4.0.B1, 4.0.B2, 4.0.RC1, 3.1, 3.1.1, 3.1.2. CayenneModeler is a desktop GUI tool shipped with Apache Cayenne and intended for editing Cayenne ORM models stored as XML files. If an attacker tricks a user of CayenneModeler into opening a malicious XML file, the attacker will be able to instruct the XML parser built into CayenneModeler to transfer files from a local machine to a remote machine controlled by the attacker. The cause of the issue is XML parser processing XML External Entity (XXE) declarations included in XML. The vulnerability is addressed in Cayenne by disabling XXE processing in all operations that require XML parsing.
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 confidenceThis is an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability in Apache Cayenne's CayenneModeler desktop GUI tool. When a user opens a maliciously crafted XML file, the XML parser processes XXE declarations that allow an attacker to read local files and transfer them to a remote server controlled by the attacker.
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
CayenneApplication
<= 3.1.0= 3.1.1= 3.1.2= 3.2= 4.0= 4.1CVSS 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
- None
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
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 the CayenneModeler or Cayenne installation versionLocate the CayenneModeler application or the cayenne JAR files in your environment. Check the application 'About' menu or examine the JAR file properties/version metadata to determine the exact version number.Affected if The version is 3.1.0 or lower, or exactly 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2, 4.0, or 4.1
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Verify XML project files are being usedSearch for Cayenne XML project files (typically .cayenne, .map.xml, or domain.xml files) in the environment that could be opened by CayenneModeler.Affected if CayenneModeler is installed and can open XML project configuration files
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Confirm XML parsing is enabled in CayenneModelerOpen CayenneModeler and attempt to load or create a project using XML configuration files. The vulnerability triggers when CayenneModeler parses an XML file containing malicious XXE declarations.Affected if CayenneModeler is used to open or parse XML files from untrusted sources
You are affected if you are running CayenneModeler (or Cayenne libraries) at versions 3.1.0 or lower, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2, 4.0, or 4.1 and using it to open XML files.
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 dataDisable XXE processing in all XML parsing operations within Cayenne by configuring the XML parser to disable external entity resolution, as the vulnerability is addressed in later versions by disabling XXE processing.
Fix this in Cayenne
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $3,648.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11758 — 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-2018-11758 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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