CVE-2024-55887: Ucum Ucum-java Has An XXE Vulnerability Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-w9j7-phm3-f97j
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CVSS 8.6
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2024-55887 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.6) ucum-java has an xxe vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Ucum libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves ucum-java has an xxe vulnerability in xml parsing. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.0.9.

CVE-2024-55887 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2024-55887
GHSA Identifier GHSA-w9j7-phm3-f97j
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.6
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Ucum
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.6

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:C/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 Changed (S:C)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2024-55887

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

org.fhir:ucum fixed: 1.0.9 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.fhir</groupId>
    <artifactId>ucum</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.9</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=org.fhir

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2024-55887, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.fhir

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Ucum in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.0.9), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.fhir 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 Ucum, 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

### Impact XML parsing performed by the UcumEssenceService is vulnerable to XML external entity injections. A processed XML file with a malicious DTD tag could produce XML containing data from the host system. This impacts use cases where ucum is being used to within a host where external clients can submit XML. ### Patches Release 1.0.9 of ucum fixes this vulnerability ### Workarounds Ensure that the source xml for instantiating UcumEssenceService is trusted. ### References * https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html * https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/XML_External_Entity_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet.html#jaxp-documentbuilderfactory-saxparserfactory-and-dom4j

CVE-2024-55887 Affected Ucum Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.0.9
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.fhir:ucum
maven/org.fhir/ucum
Maven
< 1.0.9
1.0.9

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/FHIR/Ucum-java/security/advisories/GHSA-w9j7-phm3-f97j
NVD — CVE-2024-55887 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-55887
Ucum Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/FHIR/Ucum-java

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-55887?
CVE-2024-55887 is a security vulnerability in Ucum involving Ucum-java has an XXE vulnerability in XML parsing under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Ucum versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.0.9 across affected packages: org.fhir:ucum.
What version fixes CVE-2024-55887?
Upgrading to 1.0.9 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is ucum affected?
Yes, org.fhir:ucum is affected in releases prior to 1.0.9. Upgrade your dependency to 1.0.9 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2024-55887?
CVE-2024-55887 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.6 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2024-55887?
CVE-2024-55887 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-2024-55887?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.fhir'. 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-w9j7-phm3-f97j",
  "modified" : "2024-12-13T20:35:57Z",
  "published" : "2024-12-13T20:35:57Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2024-55887" ],
  "summary" : "Ucum-java has an XXE vulnerability in XML parsing",
  "details" : "### Impact\nXML parsing performed by the UcumEssenceService is vulnerable to XML external entity injections. A processed XML file with a malicious DTD tag could produce XML containing data from the host system. This impacts use cases where ucum is being used to within a host where external clients can submit XML.\n\n### Patches\nRelease 1.0.9 of ucum fixes this vulnerability\n\n### Workarounds\nEnsure that the source xml for instantiating UcumEssenceService is trusted.\n\n### References\n* https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html\n* https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/XML_External_Entity_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet.html#jaxp-documentbuilderfactory-saxparserfactory-and-dom4j\n",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.fhir:ucum"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.0.9"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FHIR/Ucum-java/security/advisories/GHSA-w9j7-phm3-f97j"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-55887"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/FHIR/Ucum-java"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-12-13T20:35:57Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-12-13T16:15:28Z"
  }
}