How severe is CVE-2015-0254?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2015-0254 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2015-0254?

CVE-2015-0254 affects the following packages: org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard (Maven), org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard-impl (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2015-0254?

Update org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard to 1.2.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2015-0254 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2015-0254 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2015-0254 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is CVE-2015-0254 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2015-0254 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2015-0254?

CVE-2015-0254 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 12.8%, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score warrants monitoring and prompt remediation.

When was CVE-2015-0254 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2015-0254 was published on September 14, 2020 and was last updated on December 2, 2024. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2015-0254 — taglibs-standard

CVE-2015-0254 is a remote code execution vulnerability in org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard. EPSS puts its 30-day exploitation probability at 12.8% (96th percentile). A fix is available for org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard — see the affected versions and patch details below.

XXE in Apache Standard Taglibs

Published

Sep 14, 2020

Updated

Dec 2, 2024

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Oct 7, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

12.8%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Moderate Risk-0.50%

Lower risk than most CVEs96th percentile — riskier than 96% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Real-World Exposure

2 pkgs affected

☕org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard☕org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard-impl

Real-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

Apache Standard Taglibs before 1.2.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or conduct external XML entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted XSLT extension in a (1) <x:parse> or (2) <x:transform> JSTL XML tag.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard`	all versions	1.2.3`org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard:1.2.3`
☕Maven	`org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard-impl`	all versions	1.2.3`org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard-impl:1.2.3`

Affected Products

2 products · 3 configurations

Application

standard taglibsapache

≤ 1.2.1

range

ubuntu linuxcanonical

2 versions

14.0414.10

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.taglibs:taglibs-standard to 1.2.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2015-0254 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.

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.

Red HatImportant

Users of EAP 6.x and 7.0 should upgrade to at least 6.4.9 and pass the following system property on startup to prevent XXE attacks in JSTL: org.apache.taglibs.standard.xml.accessExternalEntity=false For more details please see refer to this KCS solution: https://access.redhat.com/solutions/1584363

Workaround published by Red Hat

Users should upgrade to Apache Standard Taglibs 1.2.3 or later. This version uses JAXP’s FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING to restrict XML processing. Depending on the Java runtime version in use, additional configuration may be required: Java8: External entity access is automatically disabled if a SecurityManager is active. Java7: JAXP properties may need to be used to disable external access. See http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/jaxp/properties/properties.html Java6 and earlier: A new system property org.apache.taglibs.standard.xml.accessExternalEntity may be used to specify the protocols that can be used to access external entities. This defaults to "all" if no SecurityManager is present…

Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2015-0254 (CC BY 4.0)

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	`jakarta-taglibs-standard-0:1.1.1-11.7.el6_7`	RHSA-2015:1695
Red Hat JBoss EAP 7	see advisory	RHSA-2016:1841
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4	see advisory	RHSA-2016:0125
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 5	`apache-cxf-0:2.7.18-1.redhat_1.1.ep6.el5`	RHSA-2016:0121
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 6	`apache-cxf-0:2.7.18-1.redhat_1.1.ep6.el6`	RHSA-2016:0122
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 6	`jboss-ec2-eap-0:7.5.6-1.Final_redhat_1.ep6.el6`	RHSA-2016:0124
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.4 for RHEL 7	`apache-cxf-0:2.7.18-1.redhat_1.1.ep6.el7`	RHSA-2016:0123
Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 7.0 for RHEL 6	`eap7-activemq-artemis-0:1.1.0-15.SP18_redhat_1.1.ep7.el6`	RHSA-2016:1838

Frequently Asked Questions

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