CVE-2019-7722 — pmd-core
HIGHCVE-2019-7722 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in PMD
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.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2019-7722 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-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
PMD 5.8.1 and earlier processes XML external entities in ruleset files it parses as part of the analysis process, allowing attackers tampering it (either by direct modification or MITM attacks when using remote rulesets) to perform information disclosure, denial of service, or request forgery attacks. (PMD 6.x is unaffected because of a 2017-09-15 change.)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core | all versions | 6.0.0net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core:6.0.0 |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core to 6.0.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2019-7722 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-2019-7722 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2019-7722. 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-2019-7722 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2019-7722 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.