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CxfApplication · Apache

CVE-2026-44618

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.6.11 / 4.1.6 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Insecure XML parser configuration in Apache CXF's WS-Transfer module may allow attackers to perform XXE attacks. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.1, 4.1.6 or 3.6.11, which fix this issue.

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 CXF's WS-Transfer module contains an insecure XML parser configuration that does not properly disable external entity processing, allowing XML External Entity (XXE) injection attacks. An attacker could exploit this by submitting malicious XML payloads to endpoints using the WS-Transfer functionality, potentially leading to disclosure of local files, denial of service, or server-side request forgery.

MitigationUpgrade Apache CXF to version 4.2.1, 4.1.6, or 3.6.11, which contain the fix for secure XML parser configuration. Alternatively, disable external entity processing in the XML parser configuration for the WS-Transfer module.

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
Affected:< 3.6.11>= 4.0.0, < 4.1.6= 4.2.0

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
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Identify Apache CXF version
    Locate the CXF JAR files or dependencies in your application (typically in WEB-INF/lib for web apps or build artifacts). Check the manifest or pom.xml for the cxf-core or cxf JAR version.
    Affected if The installed version is less than 3.6.11, or between 4.0.0 and 4.1.6 exclusive, or exactly 4.2.0
  2. Determine if WS-Transfer is in use
    Search your application configuration files (such as spring-beans.xml, web.xml, or CXF servlet configurations) for WS-Transfer related endpoints, WSDL imports, or the org.apache.cxf.ws.transfer feature being enabled.
    Affected if WS-Transfer endpoints or functionality is configured and exposed in your environment
  3. Inspect XML parser configuration
    Review your XML parser setup where CXF processes WS-Transfer requests. Check for DocumentBuilderFactory or XMLStreamReader configurations. Look for whether the features XMLConstants.ACCESS_EXTERNAL_DTD, XMLConstants.ACCESS_EXTERNAL_SCHEMA, or property "javax.xml.XMLConstants.ACCESS_EXTERNAL_DTD" are set to restrict or disable external entity access.
    Affected if External entity processing (XXE) is not explicitly disabled in the XML parser configuration used by CXF WS-Transfer

You are affected if your CXF version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND WS-Transfer endpoints are in use AND the XML parser feeding WS-Transfer does not have XXE protection enabled.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.6.11 / 4.1.6 or later
Fixed in 3.6.114.1.6
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apache CXF to version 4.2.1, 4.1.6, or 3.6.11, which contain the fix for secure XML parser configuration. Alternatively, disable external entity processing in the XML parser configuration for the WS-Transfer module.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.2.1, 4.1.6, or 3.6.11 (depending on your current major version branch)

  1. 1. Identify the current Apache CXF version in your project (check pom.xml, build.gradle, or dependency management)
  2. 2. For CXF 3.x versions (< 3.6.11): upgrade to version 3.6.11
  3. 3. For CXF 4.0.x through 4.1.x versions (< 4.1.6): upgrade to version 4.1.6
  4. 4. For CXF 4.2.0: upgrade to version 4.2.1
  5. 5. Update the dependency version in your build configuration file (pom.xml, build.gradle, etc.)
  6. 6. Rebuild and test the application to verify the upgrade does not introduce regressions
  7. 7. Verify the new CXF version is correctly resolved in your dependency tree

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

Fix this in Cxf Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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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-2026-44618 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