GHSA-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm is a high-severity (CVSS 7.5) CWE-91 vulnerability in org.dom4j:dom4j. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Dom4j contains a XML Injection vulnerability
Real-World Exposure
org.dom4j:dom4j☕org.dom4j:dom4j☕dom4j:dom4jReal-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
dom4j version prior to version 2.1.1 contains a CWE-91: XML Injection vulnerability in Class: Element. Methods: addElement, addAttribute that can result in an attacker tampering with XML documents through XML injection. This attack appear to be exploitable via an attacker specifying attributes or elements in the XML document. This vulnerability appears to have been fixed in 2.1.1 or later.
Note: This advisory applies to dom4j:dom4j version 1.x legacy artifacts. To resolve this a change to the latest version of org.dom4j:dom4j is recommended.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.dom4j:dom4j | all versions | 2.0.3 |
| ☕Maven | org.dom4j:dom4j | ≥ 2.1.0&&< 2.1.1 | 2.1.1 |
| ☕Maven | dom4j:dom4j | all versions | No fix |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.dom4j:dom4j. 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.dom4j:dom4j to 2.0.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm 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-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm 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-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm. 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-6pcc-3rfx-4gpm across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.