CVE-2019-9658: Checkstyle Checkstyle Vulnerability
MODERATECVE-2019-9658 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.3) checkstyle vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Checkstyle libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves checkstyle. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 8.18.
CVE-2019-9658 at a Glance
Security Impact
CVSS: 5.3
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:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
How to Fix CVE-2019-9658
To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Checkstyle dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.
<dependency>
<groupId>com.puppycrawl.tools</groupId>
<artifactId>checkstyle</artifactId>
<version>8.18</version>
</dependency>Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.puppycrawl.toolsHow to Check if You Are Affected
To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2019-9658, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:
mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.puppycrawl.toolsAnalyze the terminal output to locate any version of Checkstyle in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 8.18), your application is affected.
Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=com.puppycrawl.tools 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 Checkstyle, 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
CVE-2019-9658 Affected Checkstyle Versions
1 component(s)| Product / Package | Ecosystem | Affected Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|---|
|
com.puppycrawl.tools:checkstyle
|
Maven |
< 8.18
|
8.18
|
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2019-9658?
Which Checkstyle versions are affected?
What version fixes CVE-2019-9658?
Is checkstyle affected?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2019-9658?
What CWE is associated with CVE-2019-9658?
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Machine-readable OSV JSON
OSV v1.5 Schema
{
"schema_version" : "1.4.0",
"id" : "GHSA-gp32-7h29-rpxm",
"modified" : "2021-09-13T12:37:35Z",
"published" : "2019-03-14T15:39:14Z",
"aliases" : [ "CVE-2019-9658" ],
"summary" : "Moderate severity vulnerability that affects com.puppycrawl.tools:checkstyle",
"details" : "Checkstyle prior to 8.18 loads external DTDs by default, which can potentially lead to denial of service attacks or the leaking of confidential information.",
"severity" : [ {
"type" : "CVSS_V3",
"score" : "CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N"
} ],
"affected" : [ {
"package" : {
"ecosystem" : "Maven",
"name" : "com.puppycrawl.tools:checkstyle"
},
"ranges" : [ {
"type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
"events" : [ {
"introduced" : "0"
}, {
"fixed" : "8.18"
} ]
} ]
} ],
"references" : [ {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-9658"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/issues/6474"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/issues/6478"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/pull/6476"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/VJPT54USMGWT3Y6XVXLDEHKRUY2EI4OE"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
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}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/2BMOPJ2XYE4LB2HM7OMSUBBIYEDUTLWE"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/04/msg00029.html"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rda99599896c3667f2cc9e9d34c7b6ef5d2bbed1f4801e1d75a2b0679@%3Ccommits.nifi.apache.org%3E"
}, {
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}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/a35a8ccb316d4c2340710f610cba8058e87d5376259b35ef3ed2bf89@%3Cnotifications.accumulo.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/994221405e940e148adcfd9cb24ffc6700bed70c7820c55a22559d26@%3Cnotifications.fluo.apache.org%3E"
}, {
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"url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/7eea10e7be4c21060cb1e79f6524c6e6559ba833b1465cd2870a56b9@%3Cserver-dev.james.apache.org%3E"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
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}, {
"type" : "PACKAGE",
"url" : "https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle"
}, {
"type" : "ADVISORY",
"url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-gp32-7h29-rpxm"
}, {
"type" : "WEB",
"url" : "https://checkstyle.org/releasenotes.html#Release_8.18"
} ],
"database_specific" : {
"cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
"severity" : "MODERATE",
"github_reviewed" : true,
"github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:37:44Z",
"nvd_published_at" : null
}
}