CVE-2022-29265 — nifi
HIGHCVE-2022-29265 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.nifi:nifi. A fix is available for org.apache.nifi:nifi — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity References in Multiple Components
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-2022-29265 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 377,636 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
org.apache.nifi:nifiReal-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 NiFi is a system to process and distribute data. Multiple components in Apache NiFi 0.0.1 to 1.16.0 do not restrict XML External Entity references in the default configuration. The Standard Content Viewer service attempts to resolve XML External Entity references when viewing formatted XML files. The following Processors attempt to resolve XML External Entity references when configured with default property values:
- EvaluateXPath
- EvaluateXQuery
- ValidateXml
Apache NiFi flow configurations that include these Processors are vulnerable to malicious XML documents that contain Document Type Declarations with XML External Entity references. NiFi 1.16.1 disables Document Type Declarations in the default configuration for these Processors and disallows XML External Entity resolution in standard services.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.nifi:nifi | ≥ 0.0.1&&< 1.16.1 | 1.16.1org.apache.nifi:nifi:1.16.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.nifi:nifi, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.nifi:nifi to 1.16.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2022-29265 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-2022-29265 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2022-29265. 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-2022-29265 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2022-29265 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.