CVE-2025-68280 — sis-metadata
MEDIUMCVE-2025-68280 is a medium-severity (CVSS 6.5) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.sis.core:sis-metadata. A fix is available for org.apache.sis.core:sis-metadata — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache SIS: XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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-2025-68280.
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-2025-68280 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 377,166 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.sis.core:sis-metadataReal-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
Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference vulnerability in Apache SIS.
It is possible to write XML files in such a way that, when parsed by Apache SIS, an XML file reveals to the attacker the content of a local file on the server running Apache SIS. This vulnerability impacts the following SIS services:
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Reading of GeoTIFF files having the GEO_METADATA tag defined by the Defense Geospatial Information Working Group (DGIWG).
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Parsing of ISO 19115 metadata in XML format.
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Parsing of Coordinate Reference Systems defined in the GML format.
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Parsing of files in GPS Exchange Format (GPX).
This issue affects Apache SIS from versions 0.4 through 1.5 inclusive. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 1.6, which will fix the issue. In the meantime, the security vulnerability can be avoided by launching Java with the javax.xml.accessExternalDTD system property sets to a comma-separated list of authorized protocols. For example:
java -Djavax.xml.accessExternalDTD="" ...
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.sis.core:sis-metadata | ≥ 0.4&&< 1.6 | 1.6org.apache.sis.core:sis-metadata:1.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.sis.core:sis-metadata, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.sis.core:sis-metadata to 1.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2025-68280 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-2025-68280 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to CVE-2025-68280. 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-2025-68280 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds CVE-2025-68280 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.