How severe is CVE-2024-28109?

CVE-2024-28109 has a CVSS score of 8.1/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2024-28109?

CVE-2024-28109 affects the following packages: org.verapdf:core (Maven), org.verapdf:core-jakarta (Maven), org.verapdf:core-arlington (Maven), org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington (Maven), org.verapdf:verapdf-library (Maven), org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta (Maven), org.verapdf:library-arlington (Maven), org.verapdf:library (Maven), and 1 more. Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2024-28109?

Update org.verapdf:core to 1.24.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-28109 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2024-28109 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.verapdf:core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2024-28109 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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.

Is CVE-2024-28109 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2024-28109 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2024-28109?

CVE-2024-28109 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 1.0%, placing it in the 64th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2024-28109?

CVE-2024-28109 is classified as CWE-91 (CWE-91). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2024-28109 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2024-28109 was published on March 28, 2024 and was last updated on October 28, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2024-28109 — core

HIGHFix: veraPDF/veraPDF-library@614ffa4

CVE-2024-28109 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) CWE-91 vulnerability in org.verapdf:core. A fix is available for org.verapdf:core — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Potential XSLT injection vulnerability when using policy files

Also known asGHSA-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw

Published

Mar 28, 2024

Updated

Oct 28, 2026

Affected

9 pkgs

Patched

9 / 9

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 5, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Exploitation Status

No confirmed exploitation observed yet

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-2024-28109.

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

1.0%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs64th percentile — riskier than 64% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

9 pkgs affected

☕org.verapdf:core☕org.verapdf:core-jakarta☕org.verapdf:core-arlington☕org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington☕org.verapdf:verapdf-library☕org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta☕org.verapdf:library-arlington☕org.verapdf:library+1 more

Real-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

Impact

Executing policy checks using custom schematron files invokes an XSL transformation that may theoretically lead to a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability.

Patches

This has been patched and users should upgrade to veraPDF v1.24.2

Workarounds

This doesn't affect the standard validation and policy checks functionality, veraPDF's common use cases. Most veraPDF users don't insert any custom XSLT code into policy profiles, which are based on Schematron syntax rather than direct XSL transforms. For users who do, only load custom policy files from sources you trust.

References

Original issue: https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-library/issues/1415

Affected Packages

9 total 9 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:core`	all versions	1.24.2`org.verapdf:core:1.24.2`
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:core-jakarta`	all versions	1.24.2`org.verapdf:core-jakarta:1.24.2`
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:core-arlington`	all versions	1.25.127`org.verapdf:core-arlington:1.25.127`
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington`	all versions	1.25.127`org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington:1.25.127`
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:verapdf-library`	all versions	1.24.2`org.verapdf:verapdf-library:1.24.2`
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta`	all versions	1.24.2`org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta:1.24.2`

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.verapdf:core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.verapdf:core to 1.24.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-28109 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

### Impact Executing policy checks using custom schematron files invokes an XSL transformation that may theoretically lead to a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability. ### Patches This has been patched and users should upgrade to veraPDF v1.24.2 ### Workarounds This doesn't affect the standard validation and policy checks functionality, veraPDF's common use cases. Most veraPDF users don't insert any custom XSLT code into policy profiles, which are based on Schematron syntax rather than direct XSL transforms. For users who do, only load custom policy files from sources you trust. ### R