{"id":"CVE-2026-54079","aliases":["GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j"],"url":"https://o3.security/vulnerability/CVE-2026-54079","summary":"veraPDF Validation XXE via XFA","details":"## Summary  \n  \n**Description**\nAn XML External Entity Injection (CWE-611) vulnerability in veraPDF allows a remote attacker to read arbitrary files on the server file system and perform Server-Side Request Forgery by submitting a crafted PDF containing a malicious XFA stream. This affects all current versions of veraPDF-validation.  \n  \n## Details  \nThe vulnerability resides in veraPDF-validation `validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDAcroForm.java` within the `getdynamicRender()` method. This method retrieves the /XFA entry from the PDF's /AcroForm dictionary, decodes the embedded XML stream, and parses it to extract the `<dynamicRender>` element value.  \n  \nThe vulnerability stems from the use of a default-configured `DocumentBuilderFactory` to parse fully attacker-controlled XML:  \n- The factory is created via `DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance()` with no security features enabled. disallow-doctype-decl, external-general-entities, external-parameter-entities, and FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING are all left at their insecure defaults.  \n- The input passed to `builder.parse()` is the decoded /XFA stream taken directly from the untrusted PDF.  \n- The text content of the `<dynamicRender>` node is returned to the validation model. Note that the shipped PDF/UA-1 rule (`dynamicRender != 'required'`) consumes this value but does not echo it into the report output, so reliable exfiltration requires the out-of-band parameter-entity technique described under Impact rather than in-band reflection.  \n  \n## Impact  \n  \nThis impacts all current releases of the veraPDF validation-model module.  \n  \nSuccessful exploitation requires only that the target validate an attacker-supplied PDF against the PDF/UA-1 profile (or via flavour auto-detection on a PDF that declares PDF/UA-1 conformance), since `getdynamicRender()` is invoked by the `dynamicRender != 'required'` rule in the bundled PDF/UA-1 profile. No additional configuration or operator action is required.  \n    \n## Proposed Patch  \n  \nHarden the `DocumentBuilderFactory` in `validation-model/src/main/java/org/verapdf/gf/model/impl/pd/GFPDAcroForm.java` per the OWASP XXE Prevention Cheat Sheet to disallow DOCTYPE outright.","published":"2026-07-29T15:07:23.558Z","modified":"2026-10-28T11:16:41.280702252Z","cvss":null,"epss":{"score":0.0032,"percentile":0.24765,"asOf":"2026-09-14"},"cisaKev":null,"exploitsKnown":0,"affectedPackages":[{"ecosystem":"Maven","name":"org.verapdf:validation-model","fixedVersion":"1.30.2"},{"ecosystem":"Maven","name":"org.verapdf:validation-model","fixedVersion":"1.31.71"},{"ecosystem":"Maven","name":"org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta","fixedVersion":"1.30.2"},{"ecosystem":"Maven","name":"org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta","fixedVersion":"1.31.71"}],"fix":{"url":"https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-validation/commit/94caa46c1a594512247fbd46c808edae39469542","label":"veraPDF/veraPDF-validation@94caa46"},"references":[{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/54xxx/CVE-2026-54079.json"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-validation/security/advisories/GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-54079"},{"type":"FIX","url":"https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-validation/commit/94caa46c1a594512247fbd46c808edae39469542"},{"type":"FIX","url":"https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-validation/commit/cacd9436d0de40b0e58cc7d2dbb06451619e61ec"},{"type":"FIX","url":"https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-validation/pull/730"},{"type":"PACKAGE","url":"https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-validation"}],"provenance":{"sources":["OSV.dev","FIRST.org (EPSS)"],"lastVerified":"2026-10-28T11:16:41.280702252Z"}}