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PdfboxApplication · Apache

CVE-2019-0228

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-04-17
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
Apache PDFBox 2.0.14 does not properly initialize the XML parser, which allows context-dependent attackers to conduct XML External Entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted XFDF.

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 PDFBox 2.0.14 contains an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in its XML parser initialization for XFDF file processing. Attackers can exploit this by supplying crafted XFDF files containing malicious external entity references, potentially allowing them to read local files, perform server-side request forgery, or cause denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache PDFBox version 2.0.15 or later which contains the proper XML parser initialization fix. Alternatively, if upgrading is not immediately feasible, ensure XML parsers are configured to disable external entity processing at the application layer.

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
PdfboxApplication
Affected:= 2.0.14
JamesApplication
Affected:= 3.3.0= 3.4.0
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 29= 30
Banking Corporate Lending Process ManagementApplication
Affected:= 14.2= 14.3= 14.5
Banking Credit Facilities Process ManagementApplication
Affected:= 14.2= 14.3= 14.5
Banking Supply Chain FinanceApplication
Affected:= 14.2= 14.3= 14.5
Banking Trade Finance Process ManagementApplication
Affected:= 14.2= 14.3= 14.5
Banking Virtual Account ManagementApplication
Affected:= 14.2= 14.3.0= 14.5

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/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 checks

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

  1. Identify PDFBox version
    Check the JAR file name, Maven dependency, or library listing for Apache PDFBox version (e.g., pdfbox-2.0.14.jar or pdfbox-2.0.14.pom). In Java projects, examine pom.xml or build.gradle for the pdfbox version dependency.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 2.0.14
  2. Determine if XFDF file processing is used
    Search application code for imports or usage of org.apache.pdfbox.pdmodel.interactive.form.XFDFReader, or search for strings 'XFDF' in configuration files, file upload handlers, or document processing logic.
    Affected if The application processes XFDF files using PDFBox XFDFReader class
  3. Verify XML parser entity configuration
    If using XML parsing directly, inspect the XMLReader or DocumentBuilderFactory instantiation code to see whether FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING is enabled and whether external entity processing (DOCTYPE handling) is explicitly disabled.
    Affected if XML parsers are not configured to disable external entity processing (DTD processing is allowed)
  4. Inspect application logs for XXE symptoms
    Review application logs for unusual file access attempts, network requests to unexpected URIs, or XML parsing errors that may indicate XXE exploitation attempts.
    Affected if Logs show unexpected external entity references or unusual file access patterns related to XFDF file processing

A user is affected if they have Apache PDFBox version 2.0.14 installed AND their application processes XFDF files using PDFBox without disabling external entity processing in the XML parser.

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 to Apache PDFBox version 2.0.15 or later which contains the proper XML parser initialization fix. Alternatively, if upgrading is not immediately feasible, ensure XML parsers are configured to disable external entity processing at the application layer.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apache PDFBox 2.0.15 or later (2.0.x series)

  1. 1. Identify all applications and dependencies that use Apache PDFBox version 2.0.14
  2. 2. Update the dependency management (Maven pom.xml, Gradle build.gradle, or similar) to specify version 2.0.15 or later
  3. 3. Rebuild and test all affected applications to ensure compatibility
  4. 4. Redeploy the updated applications to all environments
  5. 5. Verify the fix by confirming the XML parser is properly initialized and XXE is prevented
Caveat Low risk - patch fix, but regression test recommended for PDF/XFDF processing functionality

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

Fix this in Pdfbox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,440
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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-2019-0228 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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