CVE-2023-48362 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.drill.exec:drill-java-exec. A fix is available for org.apache.drill.exec:drill-java-exec — see the affected versions and patch details below.
XML External Entity Reference (XXE) in the XML Format Plugin in Apache Drill
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- CISA assesses this as automatable — exploitation doesn’t require manual, per-target effort, which raises the odds of mass scanning and opportunistic attacks.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for CVE-2023-48362.
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.drill.exec:drill-java-execReal-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
XXE in the XML Format Plugin in Apache Drill version 1.19.0 and greater allows a user to read any file on a remote file system or execute commands via a malicious XML file. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.21.2, which fixes this issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.drill.exec:drill-java-exec | ≥ 1.19.0&&< 1.21.2 | 1.21.2org.apache.drill.exec:drill-java-exec:1.21.2 |
Affected Products
drillapacheDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.drill.exec:drill-java-exec, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.drill.exec:drill-java-exec to 1.21.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-48362 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-48362 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.