CVE-2020-36641: AXMLRPC AXMLRPC XML External Entity Vulnerability Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-g4r8-28fp-f255
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CVSS 9.8
CWE-611
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-36641 is a CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8) axmlrpc xml external entity vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting AXMLRPC libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves axmlrpc xml external entity vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.12.1.

CVE-2020-36641 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-36641
GHSA Identifier GHSA-g4r8-28fp-f255
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 9.8
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product AXMLRPC
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-2020-36641

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

fr.turri:aXMLRPC fixed: 1.12.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>fr.turri</groupId>
    <artifactId>aXMLRPC</artifactId>
    <version>1.12.1</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=fr.turri

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2020-36641, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=fr.turri

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of AXMLRPC in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.12.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=fr.turri 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 AXMLRPC, 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

A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in gturri aXMLRPC up to 1.12.0. This vulnerability affects the function `ResponseParser` of the file `src/main/java/de/timroes/axmlrpc/ResponseParser.java`. The manipulation leads to xml external entity reference. Upgrading to version 1.12.1 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is ad6615b3ec41353e614f6ea5fdd5b046442a832b. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. VDB-217450 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.

CVE-2020-36641 Affected AXMLRPC Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.12.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
fr.turri:aXMLRPC
maven/fr.turri/aXMLRPC
Maven
< 1.12.1
1.12.1

References

AXMLRPC Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC
NVD — CVE-2020-36641 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36641
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/commit/456752ebc1ef4c0db980cb5b01a0b3cd0a9e0bae
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/commit/ad6615b3ec41353e614f6ea5fdd5b046442a832b
AXMLRPC Release RELEASE
https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/releases/tag/aXMLRPC-1.12.1
AXMLRPC Release RELEASE
https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/releases/tag/aXMLRPC-1.14.0
vuldb.com/ WEB
https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.217450
vuldb.com/ WEB
https://vuldb.com/?id.217450

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-36641?
CVE-2020-36641 is a security vulnerability in AXMLRPC involving aXMLRPC XML External Entity vulnerability under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which AXMLRPC versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.12.1 across affected packages: fr.turri:aXMLRPC.
What version fixes CVE-2020-36641?
Upgrading to 1.12.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is aXMLRPC affected?
Yes, fr.turri:aXMLRPC is affected in releases prior to 1.12.1. Upgrade your dependency to 1.12.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-36641?
CVE-2020-36641 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-2020-36641?
CVE-2020-36641 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-2020-36641?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=fr.turri'. 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-g4r8-28fp-f255",
  "modified" : "2024-02-13T21:47:52Z",
  "published" : "2023-01-05T12:30:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-36641" ],
  "summary" : "aXMLRPC XML External Entity vulnerability",
  "details" : "A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in gturri aXMLRPC up to 1.12.0. This vulnerability affects the function `ResponseParser` of the file `src/main/java/de/timroes/axmlrpc/ResponseParser.java`. The manipulation leads to xml external entity reference. Upgrading to version 1.12.1 is able to address this issue. The name of the patch is ad6615b3ec41353e614f6ea5fdd5b046442a832b. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component. VDB-217450 is the identifier assigned to this vulnerability.",
  "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" : "fr.turri:aXMLRPC"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.12.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-36641"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/commit/456752ebc1ef4c0db980cb5b01a0b3cd0a9e0bae"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/commit/ad6615b3ec41353e614f6ea5fdd5b046442a832b"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/releases/tag/aXMLRPC-1.12.1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/gturri/aXMLRPC/releases/tag/aXMLRPC-1.14.0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/?ctiid.217450"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://vuldb.com/?id.217450"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-01-11T23:48:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-01-05T12:15:00Z"
  }
}