CVE-2017-1000190: Simple xml SimpleXML Has XML External Entity Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-f5qf-vh69-9q4r
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CVSS 9.1
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2017-1000190 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.1) simplexml has xml external entity vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting Simple xml libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves simplexml has xml external entity (xxe) vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.7.1.

CVE-2017-1000190 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2017-1000190
GHSA Identifier GHSA-f5qf-vh69-9q4r
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.1
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product Simple xml
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 9.1

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:N/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 None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2017-1000190

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Simple xml 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.simpleframework:simple-xml fixed: 2.7.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.simpleframework</groupId>
    <artifactId>simple-xml</artifactId>
    <version>2.7.1</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=org.simpleframework

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2017-1000190, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.simpleframework

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Simple xml in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.7.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.simpleframework 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 Simple xml, 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

SimpleXML (latest version 2.7.1) is vulnerable to an XXE vulnerability resulting SSRF, information disclosure, DoS and so on.

CVE-2017-1000190 Affected Simple xml Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.7.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.simpleframework:simple-xml
maven/org.simpleframework/simple-xml
Maven
< 2.7.1
2.7.1

References

NVD — CVE-2017-1000190 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-1000190
Simple xml Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ngallagher/simplexml/issues/18
Simple xml Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/ngallagher/simplexml
lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d941... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d941... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451@%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/8c4ef27... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8c4ef27e2c0218f29e785990dc919266855aea137c958f10d242cb36%40%3Cdev.lucene.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/8c4ef27... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8c4ef27e2c0218f29e785990dc919266855aea137c958f10d242cb36@%3Cdev.lucene.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r204ba2... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r204ba2a9ea750f38d789d2bb429cc0925ad6133deea7cbc3001d96b5%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r204ba2... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r204ba2a9ea750f38d789d2bb429cc0925ad6133deea7cbc3001d96b5@%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2017-1000190?
CVE-2017-1000190 is a security vulnerability in Simple xml involving SimpleXML has XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which Simple xml versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.7.1 across affected packages: org.simpleframework:simple-xml.
What version fixes CVE-2017-1000190?
Upgrading to 2.7.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is simple-xml affected?
Yes, org.simpleframework:simple-xml is affected in releases prior to 2.7.1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.7.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2017-1000190?
CVE-2017-1000190 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.1 (CRITICAL) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2017-1000190?
CVE-2017-1000190 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-2017-1000190?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.simpleframework'. 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-f5qf-vh69-9q4r",
  "modified" : "2025-09-15T14:30:53Z",
  "published" : "2022-05-14T00:55:56Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2017-1000190" ],
  "summary" : "SimpleXML has XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability",
  "details" : "SimpleXML (latest version 2.7.1) is vulnerable to an XXE vulnerability resulting SSRF, information disclosure, DoS and so on.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.simpleframework:simple-xml"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.7.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
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    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-1000190"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/ngallagher/simplexml/issues/18"
  }, {
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  }, {
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    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
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  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8c4ef27e2c0218f29e785990dc919266855aea137c958f10d242cb36%40%3Cdev.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/8c4ef27e2c0218f29e785990dc919266855aea137c958f10d242cb36@%3Cdev.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
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    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r204ba2a9ea750f38d789d2bb429cc0925ad6133deea7cbc3001d96b5%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r204ba2a9ea750f38d789d2bb429cc0925ad6133deea7cbc3001d96b5@%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-05-31T17:18:38Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2017-11-17T21:29:00Z"
  }
}