CVE-2024-29736 is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description. A fix is available for org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache CXF: SSRF vulnerability via WADL stylesheet parameter
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.
- 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-2024-29736.
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.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-descriptionReal-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 SSRF vulnerability in WADL service description in versions of Apache CXF before 4.0.5, 3.6.4 and 3.5.9 allows an attacker to perform SSRF style attacks on REST webservices. The attack only applies if a custom stylesheet parameter is configured.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description | ≥ 4.0.0&&< 4.0.5 | 4.0.5org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description:4.0.5 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description | ≥ 3.6.0&&< 3.6.4 | 3.6.4org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description:3.6.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description | all versions | 3.5.9org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description:3.5.9 |
Affected Products
cxfapacheDetection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-rs-service-description to 4.0.5 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2024-29736 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
Restrict outbound requests from the affected component to an allowlist of hosts, block access to link-local and internal address ranges at the network layer, and require authentication on internal services so a forged request cannot reach them unauthenticated.
Fixing This On Your OS
If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.
This SSRF vulnerability in Apache CXF's WADL service description is of significant severity because it allows an attacker to manipulate server-side requests, potentially leading to unauthorized access to internal resources. By exploiting this flaw, an attacker can craft malicious requests that bypass traditional…
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2024-29736 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2024-29736 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.