CVE-2014-1868: Org.restlet Org.restlet Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-73cq-fhp3-8rpw
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CWE-776
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2014-1868 is a MODERATE org.restlet vulnerability (CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion')) affecting Org.restlet libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves org.restlet. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.1.7.

CVE-2014-1868 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2014-1868
GHSA Identifier GHSA-73cq-fhp3-8rpw
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion')
Affected Product Org.restlet
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2014-1868

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Org.restlet 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.restlet.jse:org.restlet fixed: 2.1.7 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.restlet.jse</groupId>
    <artifactId>org.restlet</artifactId>
    <version>2.1.7</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.restlet.jse

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2014-1868, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.restlet.jse

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Org.restlet in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.1.7), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.restlet.jse 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-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion'), where the product uses xml documents and allows their structure to be defined with a document type definition (dtd), but it does not properly control the number of recursive definitions of entities. In Org.restlet, 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

Restlet Framework 2.1.x before 2.1.7 and 2.x.x before 2.2 RC1, when using XMLRepresentation or XML serializers, allows attackers to cause a denial of service via an XML Entity Expansion (XEE) attack.

CVE-2014-1868 Affected Org.restlet Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.1.7
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.restlet.jse:org.restlet
maven/org.restlet.jse/org.restlet
Maven
≥ 2.1.0
< 2.1.7
2.1.7

References

NVD — CVE-2014-1868 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-1868
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/911... WEB
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/91181
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-73cq-fhp3-8rpw
Org.restlet Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java/wiki/XEE-security-enhancements
secunia.com/advisories/56940 WEB
http://secunia.com/advisories/56940

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2014-1868?
CVE-2014-1868 is a security vulnerability in Org.restlet involving org.restlet under CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion').
Which Org.restlet versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.1.7 across affected packages: org.restlet.jse:org.restlet.
What version fixes CVE-2014-1868?
Upgrading to 2.1.7 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is org.restlet affected?
Yes, org.restlet.jse:org.restlet is affected in releases prior to 2.1.7. Upgrade your dependency to 2.1.7 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2014-1868?
CVE-2014-1868 is classified under CWE-776: Improper Restriction of Recursive Entity References in DTDs ('XML Entity Expansion') (The product uses XML documents and allows their structure to be defined with a Document Type Definition (DTD), but it does not properly control the number of recursive definitions of entities.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2014-1868?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.restlet.jse'. 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-73cq-fhp3-8rpw",
  "modified" : "2021-09-02T19:18:12Z",
  "published" : "2018-10-17T00:04:53Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2014-1868" ],
  "summary" : "Moderate severity vulnerability that affects org.restlet.jse:org.restlet",
  "details" : "Restlet Framework 2.1.x before 2.1.7 and 2.x.x before 2.2 RC1, when using XMLRepresentation or XML serializers, allows attackers to cause a denial of service via an XML Entity Expansion (XEE) attack.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.restlet.jse:org.restlet"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.1.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2014-1868"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/91181"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-73cq-fhp3-8rpw"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/restlet/restlet-framework-java/wiki/XEE-security-enhancements"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://secunia.com/advisories/56940"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-776" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2020-06-16T21:21:10Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}