CVE-2019-7722: Pmd core Improper Restriction Of XML External Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-57qj-79gh-69w8
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CVSS 8.1
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2019-7722 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.1) improper restriction of xml external vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Pmd core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper restriction of xml external entity reference in pmd. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 6.0.0.

CVE-2019-7722 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2019-7722
GHSA Identifier GHSA-57qj-79gh-69w8
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.1
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Pmd core
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.1

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity High (AC:H)
Privileges Required None (PR:N)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2019-7722

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Pmd core dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core fixed: 6.0.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>net.sourceforge.pmd</groupId>
    <artifactId>pmd-core</artifactId>
    <version>6.0.0</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=net.sourceforge.pmd

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-7722, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=net.sourceforge.pmd

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Pmd core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 6.0.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=net.sourceforge.pmd command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference, where the product processes an xml document that can contain xml entities with uris that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output. In Pmd core, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

PMD 5.8.1 and earlier processes XML external entities in ruleset files it parses as part of the analysis process, allowing attackers tampering it (either by direct modification or MITM attacks when using remote rulesets) to perform information disclosure, denial of service, or request forgery attacks. (PMD 6.x is unaffected because of a 2017-09-15 change.)

CVE-2019-7722 Affected Pmd core Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
6.0.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core
maven/net.sourceforge.pmd/pmd-core
Maven
< 6.0.0
6.0.0

References

NVD — CVE-2019-7722 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-7722
Pmd core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1650
Pmd core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pmd/pmd

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2019-7722?
CVE-2019-7722 is a security vulnerability in Pmd core involving Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in PMD under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Pmd core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 6.0.0 across affected packages: net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core.
What version fixes CVE-2019-7722?
Upgrading to 6.0.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is pmd-core affected?
Yes, net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core is affected in releases prior to 6.0.0. Upgrade your dependency to 6.0.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-7722?
CVE-2019-7722 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-7722?
CVE-2019-7722 is classified under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference (The product processes an XML document that can contain XML entities with URIs that resolve to documents outside of the intended sphere of control, causing the product to embed incorrect documents into its output.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2019-7722?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=net.sourceforge.pmd'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-57qj-79gh-69w8",
  "modified" : "2022-06-24T14:57:57Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T01:33:06Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-7722" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in PMD",
  "details" : "PMD 5.8.1 and earlier processes XML external entities in ruleset files it parses as part of the analysis process, allowing attackers tampering it (either by direct modification or MITM attacks when using remote rulesets) to perform information disclosure, denial of service, or request forgery attacks. (PMD 6.x is unaffected because of a 2017-09-15 change.)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "net.sourceforge.pmd:pmd-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "6.0.0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 5.8.1"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-7722"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1650"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pmd/pmd"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-24T14:57:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2019-02-11T14:29:00Z"
  }
}