CVE-2022-0265: Hazelcast XML External Entity Reference Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-99wh-973f-779p
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2022-0265 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) xml external entity reference vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Hazelcast libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves xml external entity reference in hazelcast. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.1.

CVE-2022-0265 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2022-0265
GHSA Identifier GHSA-99wh-973f-779p
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Hazelcast
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.8

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:H/A:H).

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 High (I:H)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2022-0265

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Hazelcast 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.hazelcast:hazelcast fixed: 5.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.hazelcast</groupId>
    <artifactId>hazelcast</artifactId>
    <version>5.1</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=com.hazelcast

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2022-0265, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.hazelcast

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Hazelcast in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.hazelcast 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 Hazelcast, 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 AbstractXmlConfigRootTagRecognizer() function makes use of SAXParser generated from a SAXParserFactory with no FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING set, allowing for XXE attacks.

CVE-2022-0265 Affected Hazelcast Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
com.hazelcast:hazelcast
maven/com.hazelcast/hazelcast
Maven
≥ 5.1-beta1
< 5.1
5.1

References

NVD — CVE-2022-0265 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-0265
Hazelcast Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast/pull/20407
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast/commit/4d6b666cd0291abd618c3b95cdbb51aa4208e748
Hazelcast Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast
huntr.dev/bounties/d63972a2-b... WEB
https://huntr.dev/bounties/d63972a2-b910-480a-a86b-d1f75d24d563

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2022-0265?
CVE-2022-0265 is a security vulnerability in Hazelcast involving XML External Entity Reference in Hazelcast under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Hazelcast versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.1 across affected packages: com.hazelcast:hazelcast.
What version fixes CVE-2022-0265?
Upgrading to 5.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is hazelcast affected?
Yes, com.hazelcast:hazelcast is affected in releases prior to 5.1. Upgrade your dependency to 5.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2022-0265?
CVE-2022-0265 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2022-0265?
CVE-2022-0265 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-2022-0265?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.hazelcast'. 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-99wh-973f-779p",
  "modified" : "2022-03-18T21:04:06Z",
  "published" : "2022-03-04T00:00:15Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2022-0265" ],
  "summary" : "XML External Entity Reference in Hazelcast",
  "details" : "The AbstractXmlConfigRootTagRecognizer() function makes use of SAXParser generated from a SAXParserFactory with no FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING set, allowing for XXE attacks.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "com.hazelcast:hazelcast"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "5.1-beta1"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-0265"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast/pull/20407"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast/commit/4d6b666cd0291abd618c3b95cdbb51aa4208e748"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/hazelcast/hazelcast"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://huntr.dev/bounties/d63972a2-b910-480a-a86b-d1f75d24d563"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-03-04T19:44:17Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-03-03T22:15:00Z"
  }
}