CVE-2017-9096: Itextpdf Improper Restriction Of XML External Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx
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CVSS 8.8
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-9096 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.8) improper restriction of xml external vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Itextpdf libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper restriction of xml external entity reference in itext. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.5.12, 7.0.3.

CVE-2017-9096 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-9096
GHSA Identifier GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.8
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Itextpdf
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.8

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2017-9096

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

com.itextpdf:itextpdf fixed: 5.5.12 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.itextpdf</groupId>
    <artifactId>itextpdf</artifactId>
    <version>5.5.12</version>
</dependency>
com.itextpdf:itextpdf fixed: 7.0.3 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.itextpdf</groupId>
    <artifactId>itextpdf</artifactId>
    <version>7.0.3</version>
</dependency>
com.lowagie:itext fixed: Latest secure release 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.lowagie</groupId>
    <artifactId>itext</artifactId>
    <version>Latest secure release</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=com.itextpdf

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2017-9096, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.itextpdf

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Itextpdf in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.5.12), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.itextpdf 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 Itextpdf, 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

The XML parsers in iText before 5.5.12 and 7.x before 7.0.3 do not disable external entities, which might allow remote attackers to conduct XML external entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted PDF.

CVE-2017-9096 Affected Itextpdf Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.5.127.0.3
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.itextpdf:itextpdf
maven/com.itextpdf/itextpdf
Maven
< 5.5.12
5.5.12
com.itextpdf:itextpdf
maven/com.itextpdf/itextpdf
Maven
≥ 7.0.0
< 7.0.3
7.0.3
com.lowagie:itext
maven/com.lowagie/itext
Maven
≤ 4.2.2

References

NVD — CVE-2017-9096 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9096
support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/dis... WEB
https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03902en_us
Itextpdf Security Information SECURITY
https://www.compass-security.com/fileadmin/Datein/Research/Advisories/CSNC-2017-017_itext_xml_external_entity_attack.txt
Itextpdf Security Information SECURITY
https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html
Itextpdf Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/541483/100/0/threaded

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-9096?
CVE-2017-9096 is a security vulnerability in Itextpdf involving Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in iText under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Itextpdf versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.5.12, 7.0.3 across affected packages: com.itextpdf:itextpdf, com.lowagie:itext.
What version fixes CVE-2017-9096?
Upgrading to 5.5.12, 7.0.3 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is itextpdf affected?
Yes, com.itextpdf:itextpdf is affected in releases prior to 5.5.12, 7.0.3. Upgrade your dependency to 5.5.12, 7.0.3 or later.
Is itext affected?
Yes, com.lowagie:itext is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-9096?
CVE-2017-9096 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-9096?
CVE-2017-9096 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-2017-9096?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.itextpdf'. 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-86p9-x5pw-94qx",
  "modified" : "2024-03-06T21:45:40Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-13T01:14:24Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-9096" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in  iText",
  "details" : "The XML parsers in iText before 5.5.12 and 7.x before 7.0.3 do not disable external entities, which might allow remote attackers to conduct XML external entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted PDF.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.itextpdf:itextpdf"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.5.12"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.itextpdf:itextpdf"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "7.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "7.0.3"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.lowagie:itext"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "last_affected" : "4.2.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9096"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03902en_us"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.compass-security.com/fileadmin/Datein/Research/Advisories/CSNC-2017-017_itext_xml_external_entity_attack.txt"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/541483/100/0/threaded"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-30T19:51:56Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-11-08T16:29:00Z"
  }
}