CVE-2024-45294
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 · uneditedThe HL7 FHIR Core Artifacts repository provides the java core object handling code, with utilities (including validator), for the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) specification. Prior to version 6.3.23, XSLT transforms performed by various components are vulnerable to XML external entity injections. A processed XML file with a malicious DTD tag could produce XML containing data from the host system. This impacts use cases where org.hl7.fhir.core is being used to within a host where external clients can submit XML. This issue has been patched in release 6.3.23. No known workarounds are available.
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 confidenceThe HL7 FHIR Java library versions prior to 6.3.23 contain an XXE vulnerability in XSLT transform processing. When processing XML files submitted by external clients, malicious DTD declarations can inject external entity references that exfiltrate data from the host system.
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
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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 org.hl7.fhir.core library presenceSearch your project dependencies (Maven pom.xml, Gradle build.gradle, or JAR manifest) for org.hl7.fhir.coreAffected if The library is present in your dependencies
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Check the installed versionLook up the version of org.hl7.fhir.core in your dependency management files (Maven pom.lock, Gradle lock files) or inspect the JAR manifestAffected if Version is below 6.3.23
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Determine if XSLT transformation is usedSearch code for XSLT transformer usage involving FHIR resources, looking for javax.xml.transform, Saxon, or Xalan processors processing XML from external sourcesAffected if Your application performs XSLT transformations on XML resources
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Check if external XML input is processedReview code that accepts XML from external clients (REST endpoints, file uploads, message queues) and determines whether DTD/external entity processing could be triggeredAffected if External or untrusted XML data is parsed without disabling external entities and DTDs
You are affected if org.hl7.fhir.core version is below 6.3.23 AND your application processes external XML files through XSLT transformations
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 org.hl7.fhir.core to version 6.3.23 or later to receive the patched library that properly sanitizes XML input during XSLT transformations.
6.3.23
- Upgrade org.hl7.fhir.core library to version 6.3.23 or later
- If using Maven, update the dependency in pom.xml with version 6.3.23
- If using Gradle, update the dependency to org.hl7.fhir.core:org.hl7.fhir.core:6.3.23
- Rebuild the application and run tests to verify the upgrade works correctly
- Re-test any XML processing functionality that uses the FHIR core library to confirm the XXE vulnerability is remediated
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $3,872.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-45294 — 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-2024-45294 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
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