CVE-2026-49875: Cxf core Apache CXF Has Improper Restriction Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xw5h-cmh3-8j6j
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-49875 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) apache cxf has improper restriction vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Cxf core libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache cxf has improper restriction of xml external entity reference. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 4.2.2, 4.1.7.

CVE-2026-49875 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-49875
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xw5h-cmh3-8j6j
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Cxf core
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-2026-49875

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Cxf core 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.apache.cxf:cxf-core fixed: 4.2.2 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
    <artifactId>cxf-core</artifactId>
    <version>4.2.2</version>
</dependency>
org.apache.cxf:cxf-core fixed: 4.1.7 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
    <artifactId>cxf-core</artifactId>
    <version>4.1.7</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.apache.cxf

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-49875, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cxf

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Cxf core in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 4.2.2), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cxf 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 Cxf core, 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

Apache CXF's EndpointReferenceUtils and W3CMultiSchemaFactory classes construct a SAXParserFactory without the necessary JAXP hardening configurations, enabling out-of-band (OOB) external entity resolution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.2 or 4.1.7, which fix this issue.

CVE-2026-49875 Affected Cxf core Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
4.2.24.1.7
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.cxf:cxf-core
maven/org.apache.cxf/cxf-core
Maven
≥ 4.2.0
< 4.2.2
4.2.2
org.apache.cxf:cxf-core
maven/org.apache.cxf/cxf-core
Maven
< 4.1.7
4.1.7

References

NVD — CVE-2026-49875 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49875
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:36... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36839
access.redhat.com/errata/rhsa-2026:37... WEB
https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37390
Cxf core Security Information SECURITY
https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-49875
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi WEB
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2488309
Cxf core Security Information SECURITY
https://cxf.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2026-49875.txt
Cxf core Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/cxf
lists.apache.org/thread/3kb9w5bg90xc... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/3kb9w5bg90xcp06fccoz9k3gpsvyy79o
Cxf core Security Information SECURITY
https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-49875.json
Cxf core Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/11/2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-49875?
CVE-2026-49875 is a security vulnerability in Cxf core involving Apache CXF has Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Cxf core versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 4.2.2, 4.1.7 across affected packages: org.apache.cxf:cxf-core.
What version fixes CVE-2026-49875?
Upgrading to 4.2.2, 4.1.7 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is cxf-core affected?
Yes, org.apache.cxf:cxf-core is affected in releases prior to 4.2.2, 4.1.7. Upgrade your dependency to 4.2.2, 4.1.7 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-49875?
CVE-2026-49875 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-2026-49875?
CVE-2026-49875 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-2026-49875?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.cxf'. 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-xw5h-cmh3-8j6j",
  "modified" : "2026-10-02T23:10:32Z",
  "published" : "2026-06-12T12:31:33Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-49875" ],
  "summary" : "Apache CXF has Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference",
  "details" : "Apache CXF's EndpointReferenceUtils and W3CMultiSchemaFactory classes construct a SAXParserFactory without the necessary JAXP hardening configurations, enabling out-of-band (OOB) \nexternal entity resolution. Users are recommended to upgrade to versions 4.2.2 or 4.1.7, which fix this issue.",
  "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" : "org.apache.cxf:cxf-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "4.2.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.2.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.cxf:cxf-core"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "4.1.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-49875"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:36839"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:37390"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-49875"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2488309"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cxf.apache.org/security-advisories.data/CVE-2026-49875.txt"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/cxf"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/3kb9w5bg90xcp06fccoz9k3gpsvyy79o"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-49875.json"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/11/2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-10-02T23:10:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-06-12T10:16:22Z"
  }
}