CVE-2016-6812
MEDIUMImproper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation in Apache CXF
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.
Blast Radius
org.apache.cxf:cxf-core☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-coreReal-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 HTTP transport module in Apache CXF prior to 3.0.12 and 3.1.x prior to 3.1.9 uses FormattedServiceListWriter to provide an HTML page which lists the names and absolute URL addresses of the available service endpoints. The module calculates the base URL using the current HttpServletRequest. The calculated base URL is used by FormattedServiceListWriter to build the service endpoint absolute URLs. If the unexpected matrix parameters have been injected into the request URL then these matrix parameters will find their way back to the client in the services list page which represents an XSS risk to the client.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-core | all versions | 3.0.12 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-core | ≥ 3.1.0&&< 3.1.9 | 3.1.9 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cxf:cxf-core. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.apache.cxf:cxf-core to 3.0.12 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2016-6812 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 pinpoints whether CVE-2016-6812 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2016-6812. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2016-6812 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2016-6812 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.