CVE-2020-36641
CRITICALCVE-2020-36641 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.8) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in fr.turri:aXMLRPC. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2020-36641 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
aXMLRPC XML External Entity vulnerability
Blast Radius
fr.turri:aXMLRPCReal-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
A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in gturri aXMLRPC up to 1.12.0. This vulnerability affects the function ResponseParser of the file src/main/java/de/timroes/axmlrpc/ResponseParser.java. The manipulation leads to xml external entity reference. Upgrading to version 1.14.0 is able to address this issue. The patch is identified as 456752ebc1ef4c0db980cb5b01a0b3cd0a9e0bae. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. VDB-217450 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | fr.turri:aXMLRPC | all versions | 1.12.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for fr.turri:aXMLRPC. 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 fr.turri:aXMLRPC to 1.12.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2020-36641 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-2020-36641 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-2020-36641. 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-2020-36641 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2020-36641 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.