GHSA-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw is a high-severity (CVSS 8.1) CWE-91 vulnerability in org.verapdf:core. A fix is available for org.verapdf:core — see the affected versions and patch details below.
veraPDF has potential XSLT injection vulnerability when using policy files
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw.
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-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw 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 378,567 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.verapdf:core☕org.verapdf:core-jakarta☕org.verapdf:core-arlington☕org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington☕org.verapdf:verapdf-library☕org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta☕org.verapdf:library-arlington☕org.verapdf:library+1 moreReal-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
Executing policy checks using custom schematron files invokes an XSL transformation that may theoretically lead to a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability.
Patches
This has been patched and users should upgrade to veraPDF v1.24.2
Workarounds
This doesn't affect the standard validation and policy checks functionality, veraPDF's common use cases. Most veraPDF users don't insert any custom XSLT code into policy profiles, which are based on Schematron syntax rather than direct XSL transforms. For users who do, only load custom policy files from sources you trust.
References
Original issue: https://github.com/veraPDF/veraPDF-library/issues/1415
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.verapdf:core | all versions | 1.24.2org.verapdf:core:1.24.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.verapdf:core-jakarta | all versions | 1.24.2org.verapdf:core-jakarta:1.24.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.verapdf:core-arlington | all versions | 1.25.127org.verapdf:core-arlington:1.25.127 |
| ☕Maven | org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington | all versions | 1.25.127org.verapdf:verapdf-library-arlington:1.25.127 |
| ☕Maven | org.verapdf:verapdf-library | all versions | 1.24.2org.verapdf:verapdf-library:1.24.2 |
| ☕Maven | org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta | all versions | 1.24.2org.verapdf:verapdf-library-jakarta:1.24.2 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.verapdf:core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.verapdf:core to 1.24.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw 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-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw. 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-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-qxqf-2mfx-x8jw across Maven dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.