CxfApplication · Apache
CVE-2025-23184
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 potential denial of service vulnerability is present in versions of Apache CXF before 3.5.10, 3.6.5 and 4.0.6. In some edge cases, the CachedOutputStream instances may not be closed and, if backed by temporary files, may fill up the file system (it applies to servers and clients).
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 CXF's CachedOutputStream may not be properly closed in certain edge cases. When these streams are backed by temporary files rather than in-memory caching, the temp files are not cleaned up, potentially filling the file system and causing denial of service on both client and server deployments.
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
CxfApplication
< 3.5.10>= 3.6.0, < 3.6.5>= 4.0.0, < 4.0.6CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify the installed Apache CXF versionLocate the CXF jar files in your application (typically in WEB-INF/lib or classpath) and check the version from the jar filename or manifest. Common locations: Maven pom.xml dependency, lib directory, or OSGi bundle manifest.Affected if The version is less than 3.5.10, OR between 3.6.0 and 3.6.4 inclusive, OR between 4.0.0 and 4.0.5 inclusive.
-
Determine if CachedOutputStream uses file-based cachingCheck the CXF configuration for the 'org.apache.cxf.io.CachedOutputStream.maxCacheSize' and 'org.apache.cxf.io.CachedOutputStream.maxTempFileSize' properties. When the output exceeds maxCacheSize, CXF writes to temp files instead of memory.Affected if Large message handling is enabled and output sizes exceed the in-memory cache threshold, forcing file-based caching.
-
Inspect the system temporary directory for CXF temp filesExamine the Java system temp directory (java.io.tmpdir, commonly /tmp or AppData\Local\Temp) for files matching patterns like 'cxf-temp-*' or '*CachedOutputStream*'. Use commands: 'ls -la /tmp/ | grep -i cxf' on Linux or 'dir C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Temp /s | findstr cxf' on Windows.Affected if Many CXF temp files exist and remain after processing, indicating improper cleanup.
-
Verify application code uses CachedOutputStreamSearch application source code and dependencies for direct usage of org.apache.cxf.io.CachedOutputStream, or look for CXF handlers/interceptors that process request/response bodies which internally use this class.Affected if The application processes XML/SOAP messages through CXF interceptors that invoke CachedOutputStream.
You are affected if your Apache CXF version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND your application processes messages large enough to trigger file-based caching in CachedOutputStream, resulting in accumulating temp 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.
dbcve · scoped3.5.103.6.54.0.6
Upgrade Apache CXF to version 3.5.10, 3.6.5, or 4.0.6 or later to receive the patch for proper CachedOutputStream closure. Monitor disk usage and clean up any existing CXF temp files in the system temporary directory.
Upgrade to CXF 4.0.6 (or 3.6.5/3.5.10 depending on branch)
- Identify all Java applications and services in your environment that depend on Apache CXF
- For each project, locate the dependency management file (pom.xml, build.gradle, or equivalent)
- Locate the CXF dependency declarations - typically org.apache.cxf:cxf-core or org.apache.cxf:cxf-*-bundle
- Update the CXF version to 4.0.6 (or 3.6.5 if remaining on the 3.x line, or 3.5.10 if on the 3.5.x line)
- Run dependency resolution to verify the new version is pulled in: mvn dependency:tree (Maven) or ./gradlew dependencies (Gradle)
- Rebuild and test the application to ensure compatibility
- Deploy the updated application to all environments (dev, staging, production)
- Monitor file system usage in production after deployment to verify the fix is effective
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Cxf
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,864.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-23184 — 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-2025-23184 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data