CVE-2017-5661 — fop
HIGHCVE-2017-5661 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.3) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.xmlgraphics:fop. A fix is available for org.apache.xmlgraphics:fop — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in Apache FOP
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
Where this sits among everything scored
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.xmlgraphics:fopReal-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
In Apache FOP before 2.2, files lying on the filesystem of the server which uses FOP can be revealed to arbitrary users who send maliciously formed SVG files. The file types that can be shown depend on the user context in which the exploitable application is running. If the user is root a full compromise of the server - including confidential or sensitive files - would be possible. XXE can also be used to attack the availability of the server via denial of service as the references within a xml document can trivially trigger an amplification attack.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.xmlgraphics:fop | all versions | 2.2org.apache.xmlgraphics:fop:2.2 |
Affected Products
formatting objects processorapacheDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.xmlgraphics:fop, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.xmlgraphics:fop to 2.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2017-5661 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Cap what an attacker can consume: apply request size, rate and timeout limits in front of the affected component, and run it with memory and CPU limits so exhaustion degrades one worker rather than the whole service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2017-5661 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.