JenaApplication · Apache
CVE-2021-39239
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 · uneditedA vulnerability in XML processing in Apache Jena, in versions up to 4.1.0, may allow an attacker to execute XML External Entities (XXE), including exposing the contents of local files to a remote server.
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 confidenceApache Jena versions up to 4.1.0 contain a vulnerability in XML processing that allows XML External Entity (XXE) injection. An attacker can craft malicious XML input to reference local files or internal resources, potentially exposing sensitive file contents to remote attackers.
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
JenaApplication
<= 4.1.0CVSS 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
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 Apache Jena versionLocate the Jena library JAR file in your project dependencies (pom.xml, build.gradle, or lib directory) or check the version reported by your application's runtime environment. Common locations: Maven Central dependency declaration, Java classpath, or application lib folder.Affected if The installed version is 4.1.0 or any earlier version (e.g., 4.0.0, 3.x series)
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Confirm XML parsing usageSearch your codebase for imports of Jena XML parsing classes (such as org.apache.jena.rdfxml.xmlinput.*) and identify where XML files or streams are being parsed using Jena's RDFXMLReader or similar XML input handlers.Affected if Your application parses RDF/XML input using Apache Jena's XML processing modules
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Examine XML parser configurationInspect the XML parser initialization code or configuration. Look for parser factory settings (e.g., DocumentBuilderFactory, SAXParserFactory) used alongside Jena XML processing. Check whether features like 'http://xml.org/sax/features/external-general-entities' or 'http://apache.org/xml/features/disallow-doctype-decl' are explicitly set.Affected if The XML parser has not disabled DTD processing or external entities (DTD processing is enabled by default in unpatched versions)
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Audit XML input sourcesReview code paths that accept XML input from untrusted sources (HTTP requests, file uploads, user-provided files). Determine if these inputs flow through Jena's RDFXML parser without prior sanitization.Affected if Your application accepts XML from external or untrusted sources and processes it through Apache Jena without XXE-safe parser configuration
You are affected if Apache Jena version 4.1.0 or earlier is in use AND your application processes untrusted XML input through Jena's XML parsing functionality with default parser settings.
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 · scopedUpgrade Apache Jena to version 4.2.0 or later. Alternatively, disable external entity processing in XML parsers by configuring them to disable DTD processing and external entities.
Apache Jena 4.2.0
- Download Apache Jena 4.2.0 or later from the official Apache download site (https://jena.apache.org/download/index.cgi)
- Replace the vulnerable Jena library files (jena-core-*.jar and any other Jena JARs at version 4.1.0 or earlier) with the fixed versions from 4.2.0 or later
- Rebuild and redeploy any applications that depend on Apache Jena
- Test the application to verify XML processing functions correctly after the upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Jena
Scoped from the published advisory
- 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-2021-39239 — 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-2021-39239 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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