How severe is GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j?

No CVSS score has been assigned to GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j?

GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j affects the following packages: org.verapdf:validation-model (Maven), org.verapdf:validation-model (Maven), org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta (Maven), org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j?

Update org.verapdf:validation-model to 1.30.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.verapdf:validation-model. 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.

How do I mitigate GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

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 does O3 Security protect against GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j?

O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.

Is GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j?

GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 0.3%, placing it in the 24th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j?

GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j is classified as XML External Entity (XXE) (CWE-611). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j published, and has it been updated?

GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j was published on July 29, 2026 and was last updated on July 29, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕ Maven

GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j

GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j is a XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.verapdf:validation-model. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.

veraPDF Validation XXE via XFA

Also known asCVE-2026-54079

Published

Jul 29, 2026

Updated

Jul 29, 2026

Affected

4 pkgs

Patched

4 / 4

Exploits

None indexed

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

0.3%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk24th percentile0.00%

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.

Blast Radius

4 pkgs affected

☕org.verapdf:validation-model☕org.verapdf:validation-model☕org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta☕org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta

Real-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

Summary

Description An 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.

Details

The 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.

The vulnerability stems from the use of a default-configured DocumentBuilderFactory to parse fully attacker-controlled XML:

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.
The input passed to builder.parse() is the decoded /XFA stream taken directly from the untrusted PDF.
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.

Impact

This impacts all current releases of the veraPDF validation-model module.

Successful 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.

Proposed Patch

Harden 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.

Affected Packages

4 total 4 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:validation-model`	≥ 1.17.35&&< 1.30.2	1.30.2
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:validation-model`	≥ 1.31.1&&< 1.31.71	1.31.71
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta`	≥ 1.17.35&&< 1.30.2	1.30.2
☕Maven	`org.verapdf:validation-model-jakarta`	≥ 1.31.1&&< 1.31.71	1.31.71

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.verapdf:validation-model. 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.verapdf:validation-model to 1.30.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j 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 GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j 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 GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

## Summary **Description** An 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. ## Details The 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, decod

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j in your dependencies?

O3 detects GHSA-36mm-w85j-3q2j across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works