GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885 — xmlsec
Fix: apache/santuario-java@a09b904GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885 is a CWE-399 vulnerability in org.apache.santuario:xmlsec. A fix is available for org.apache.santuario:xmlsec — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Improper Input Validation in Apache Santuario XML Security
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.
Real-World Exposure
org.apache.santuario:xmlsecReal-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
Apache Santuario XML Security for Java before 1.5.6, when applying Transforms, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) via crafted Document Type Definitions (DTDs), related to signatures.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.santuario:xmlsec | all versions | 1.5.6org.apache.santuario:xmlsec:1.5.6 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.santuario:xmlsec, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.apache.santuario:xmlsec to 1.5.6 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885 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 GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
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.
Fuse ESB 4, Fuse Message Broker 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, Fuse Mediation Router 2.7, 2.8 and Fuse Services Framework 2.3, 2.4 are now in a reduced support phase receiving only Critical impact security fixes. This issue has been rated as having Moderate security impact and is not currently planned to be addressed in future…
| Product | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| JBEWP 5 for RHEL 5 | xml-security-0:1.5.6-3.ep5.el5 | RHSA-2014:1728 |
| Red Hat JBoss BPMS 6.0 | xmlsec | RHSA-2015:0851 |
| Red Hat JBoss BRMS 6.0 | xmlsec | RHSA-2015:0850 |
| Red Hat JBoss Data Virtualization 6.1 | see advisory | RHSA-2015:0675 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5.2 | xmlsec | RHSA-2014:1725 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 5 for RHEL 5 | xml-security-0:1.5.6-3.ep5.el5 | RHSA-2014:1726 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.2 | xmlsec | RHSA-2014:0172 |
| Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform 6.2 for RHEL 5 | jbossas-javadocs-0:7.3.1-3.Final_redhat_3.ep6.el5 | RHSA-2014:0170 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-4p4w-6h54-g885 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.