CVE-2026-44618 — cxf-rt-ws-transfer
MEDIUMCVE-2026-44618 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer. A fix is available for org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache CXF: XXE vulnerability in WS-Transfer functionality
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-2026-44618.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.
How urgent is this, really
CVE-2026-44618 by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). Outside the shaded patch-first corner.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 384,189 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Counts from FIRST.org, log-scaled.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transferReal-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
Insecure XML parser configuration in Apache CXF's WS-Transfer module may allow attackers to perform XXE attacks. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.1, 4.1.6 or 3.6.11, which fix this issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer | ≥ 4.2.0&&< 4.2.1 | 4.2.1org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer:4.2.1 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer | ≥ 4.1.0&&< 4.1.6 | 4.1.6org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer:4.1.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer | all versions | 3.6.11org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer:3.6.11 |
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-ws-transfer, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer to 4.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-44618 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.
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.
Red Hat products that ship Apache CXF either do not include the WS-Transfer module (cxf-rt-ws-transfer) or ship version 4.1.7, which already contains the fix for this vulnerability. No Red Hat product is affected.
If using Apache CXF's WS-Transfer module, upgrade to Apache CXF versions 4.2.1, 4.1.6, or 3.6.11. If the WS-Transfer module is not required, it can be removed or disabled to eliminate the attack surface.Source: Red Hat security advisory for CVE-2026-44618 (CC BY 4.0)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-44618 in your dependencies?
Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.