CVE-2024-28039
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 · uneditedImproper restriction of XML external entity references vulnerability exists in FitNesse all releases, which allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information, alter data, or cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition.
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 confidenceFit Nesse contains an XML External Entity (XXE) injection vulnerability due to improper restriction of XML external entity references. A remote unauthenticated attacker can submit specially crafted XML input to obtain sensitive information from the server filesystem, alter data, or cause a denial-of-service condition.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
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
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/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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Confirm Fit Nesse is installed or runningCheck for Java processes running fitnesse or check for fitnesse directory/jar files in common locations (e.g., /opt/fitnesse, /usr/share/fitnesse, or the application's deployment directory)Affected if Fit Nesse software is present and running on the system
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Identify Fit Nesse versionCheck the fitnesse jar filename (often includes version number like fitnesse-*.jar) or look for a version.txt/VERSION file in the Fit Nesse installation directory, or query the Fit Nesse root page for version informationAffected if The installed version is unknown or older than the patched version that disables external entity processing
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Verify XML input processing is enabledCheck Fit Nesse configuration files (fitnesse.properties or fitnesse.xml) for settings related to XML import, XML test pages, or XML parsing features. Look for properties like 'xml.enabled' or similar XML-related configuration optionsAffected if XML processing features are enabled and accessible to unauthenticated users
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Inspect XML parser configuration for external entity settingsExamine the XML parser configuration in Fit Nesse's configuration files or embedded parser settings. Check if 'external-entity' or 'XXE' related settings allow external entity resolutionAffected if XML parsers are configured to allow external entity resolution (this is the vulnerable state)
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Identify exposed XML endpointsReview Fit Nesse's web interface or API endpoints that accept XML input. Check if any unauthenticated endpoints process XML contentAffected if There are publicly accessible endpoints that accept and process XML input without proper restrictions
A user is affected if Fit Nesse is running with XML processing enabled and the XML parser configuration allows external entity references.
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 dataUpdate Fit Nesse to a version that disables external entity processing in XML parsers, or disable external entity resolution in the application's XML configuration.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 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 $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-28039 — 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-2024-28039 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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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.
- 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
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