CVE-2014-0107 — xalan
CVE-2014-0107 is a CWE-264 vulnerability in xalan:xalan. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 13.8% (96th percentile). A fix is available for xalan:xalan — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Authorization in Apache Xalan-Java
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
Real-World Exposure
xalan:xalanReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
The TransformerFactory in Apache Xalan-Java before 2.7.2 does not properly restrict access to certain properties when FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING is enabled, which allows remote attackers to bypass expected restrictions and load arbitrary classes or access external resources via a crafted (1) xalan:content-header, (2) xalan:entities, (3) xslt:content-header, or (4) xslt:entities property, or a Java property that is bound to the XSLT 1.0 system-property function.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | xalan:xalan | all versions | 2.7.2xalan:xalan:2.7.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for xalan:xalan, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update xalan:xalan to 2.7.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2014-0107 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2014-0107 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2014-0107. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Fuse ESB Enterprise 7.1.0 | see advisory | RHSA-2014:1369 |
| JBoss Enterprise BRMS Platform 5.3 | xalan-j2 | RHSA-2014:1007 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | xalan-j2-0:2.7.0-6jpp.2 | RHSA-2014:0348 |
| Red Hat JBoss A-MQ 6.1 | see advisory | RHSA-2014:1351 |
| Red Hat JBoss BPMS 6.0 | see advisory | RHSA-2014:0819 |
| Red Hat JBoss BPMS 6.0 | xalan-j2 | RHSA-2014:1291 |
| Red Hat JBoss BRMS 6.0 | see advisory | RHSA-2014:0818 |
| Red Hat JBoss BRMS 6.0 | xalan-j2 | RHSA-2014:1290 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2014-0107 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2014-0107 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.