GHSA-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp
MEDIUMGHSA-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp is a medium-severity (CVSS 5.3) XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer. O3 Security confirms whether GHSA-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Apache CXF's WS-Transfer module has an insecure XML parser configuration
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- 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-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp.
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-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp 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 0 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.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer☕org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transferReal-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
Insecure XML parser configuration in Apache CXF's WS-Transfer module may allow attackers to perform XXE attacks. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.1, 4.1.6 or 3.6.11, which fix this issue.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer | ≥ 4.2.0&&< 4.2.1 | 4.2.1 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer | ≥ 4.1.0&&< 4.1.6 | 4.1.6 |
| ☕Maven | org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer | all versions | 3.6.11 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer. 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.apache.cxf:cxf-rt-ws-transfer to 4.2.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp 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-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp 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-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp. 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-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-vmm5-fjgx-2jhp across Maven dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.