CVE-2026-40998 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.2) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.springframework.ws:spring-xml. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-40998 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Spring Web Services: Jaxp13 XPath XXE via StreamSource and SAXSource
Real-World Exposure
org.springframework.ws:spring-xml☕org.springframework.ws:spring-xml☕org.springframework.ws:spring-xml☕org.springframework.ws:spring-xmlReal-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
Jaxp13XPathTemplate evaluated XPath expressions for StreamSource and SAXSource inputs using a code path that parsed attacker-controlled XML with the JDK's default DocumentBuilderFactory behavior instead of Spring's hardened parser configuration. Applications that evaluate XPath against untrusted XML payloads could therefore be exposed to XML External Entity (XXE) style attacks.
Affected versions: Spring Web Services 5.0.0 through 5.0.1; 4.1.0 through 4.1.3; 4.0.0 through 4.0.18; 3.1.0 through 3.1.8.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-xml | ≥ 5.0.0&&< 5.0.2 | 5.0.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-xml | ≥ 4.1.0&&< 4.1.4 | 4.1.4 |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-xml | ≥ 4.0.0 | No fix |
| ☕Maven | org.springframework.ws:spring-xml | ≥ 3.1.0 | No fix |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.springframework.ws:spring-xml. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update org.springframework.ws:spring-xml to 5.0.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-40998 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 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-40998 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-40998. 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-2026-40998 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-40998 across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.