CVE-2021-3869: Stanford corenlp Improper Restriction Of XML External Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-8gf7-w3cp-gfh3
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CVSS 7.5
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-3869 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) improper restriction of xml external vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Stanford corenlp libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves improper restriction of xml external entity reference in stanford corenlp. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.3.1.

CVE-2021-3869 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-3869
GHSA Identifier GHSA-8gf7-w3cp-gfh3
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Stanford corenlp
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2021-3869

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

edu.stanford.nlp:stanford-corenlp fixed: 4.3.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>edu.stanford.nlp</groupId>
    <artifactId>stanford-corenlp</artifactId>
    <version>4.3.1</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=edu.stanford.nlp

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2021-3869, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=edu.stanford.nlp

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Stanford corenlp in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.3.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=edu.stanford.nlp 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 Stanford corenlp, 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

corenlp is vulnerable to Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

CVE-2021-3869 Affected Stanford corenlp Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.3.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
edu.stanford.nlp:stanford-corenlp
maven/edu.stanford.nlp/stanford-corenlp
Maven
< 4.3.1
4.3.1

References

NVD — CVE-2021-3869 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3869
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/stanfordnlp/corenlp/commit/5d83f1e8482ca304db8be726cad89554c88f136a
Stanford corenlp Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/stanfordnlp/CoreNLP
huntr.dev/bounties/2f8baf6c-1... WEB
https://huntr.dev/bounties/2f8baf6c-14b3-420d-8ede-9805797cd324

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-3869?
CVE-2021-3869 is a security vulnerability in Stanford corenlp involving Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in Stanford CoreNLP under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Stanford corenlp versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.3.1 across affected packages: edu.stanford.nlp:stanford-corenlp.
What version fixes CVE-2021-3869?
Upgrading to 4.3.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is stanford-corenlp affected?
Yes, edu.stanford.nlp:stanford-corenlp is affected in releases prior to 4.3.1. Upgrade your dependency to 4.3.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3869?
CVE-2021-3869 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-3869?
CVE-2021-3869 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-2021-3869?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=edu.stanford.nlp'. 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-8gf7-w3cp-gfh3",
  "modified" : "2022-06-21T20:11:57Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-24T19:18:01Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-3869" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in Stanford CoreNLP",
  "details" : "corenlp is vulnerable to Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "edu.stanford.nlp:stanford-corenlp"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.3.1"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "<= 4.3.0"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-3869"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/stanfordnlp/corenlp/commit/5d83f1e8482ca304db8be726cad89554c88f136a"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/stanfordnlp/CoreNLP"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.dev/bounties/2f8baf6c-14b3-420d-8ede-9805797cd324"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-06-21T20:11:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2021-10-19T13:15:00Z"
  }
}