GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8 is a medium-severity (CVSS 5) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime. 1 public exploit reference exists, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Eclipse IDE XXE in eclipse.platform
Exploitation Status
Proof-of-concept exploit code exists
- CISA’s SSVC triage found public proof-of-concept exploit code for this CVE, though no confirmed active exploitation.
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8.
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.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8 plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE doesn't sit, though severity or exploitability alone can still warrant action.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,636 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the < 10% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime☕org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.platform☕org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.jface☕org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.forms☕org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.ide☕org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.workbench☕org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.urischeme☕org.eclipse.jdt:org.eclipse.jdt.uiReal-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
Impact
xml files like ".project" are parsed vulnerable against all sorts of XXE attacks. The user just needs to open any evil project or update an open project with a vulnerable file (for example for review a foreign repository or patch).
Vulnerablility was found by static code analysis (SonarLint).
Example .project file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE price [
<!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://127.0.0.1:49416/evil">]>
<projectDescription>
<name>p</name>
<comment>&xxe;</comment>
</projectDescription>
Patches
Similar patches including junit test that shows the vulnerability have already applied to PDE (see https://github.com/eclipse-pde/eclipse.pde/pull/667). A solution to platform should be the same: just reject parsing any XML that contains any DOCTYPE.
Workarounds
No known workaround. User can only avoid to get/open any foreign files with eclipse. Firewall rules against loss of data (but not against XML bomb).
References
https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html https://rules.sonarsource.com/java/RSPEC-2755 https://gitlab.eclipse.org/security/vulnerability-reports/-/issues/8 (Report for multiple projects affected)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime | all versions | 3.29.0org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime:3.29.0 |
| ☕Maven | org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.platform | all versions | 4.29.0org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.platform:4.29.0 |
| ☕Maven | org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.jface | all versions | 3.31.0org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.jface:3.31.0 |
| ☕Maven | org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.forms | all versions | 3.13.0org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.forms:3.13.0 |
| ☕Maven | org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.ide | all versions | 3.21.100org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.ide:3.21.100 |
| ☕Maven | org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.workbench | all versions | 3.130.0org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.ui.workbench:3.130.0 |
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.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.eclipse.platform:org.eclipse.core.runtime to 3.29.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8 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-j24h-xcpc-9jw8 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8 in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-j24h-xcpc-9jw8 across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.