Vulnerabilities in pkg:maven/org.cyclonedx/cyclonedx-core-java

PACKAGE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6fhj-vr9j-g45r
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Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-64518 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.5) bom validation is vulnerable to vulnerability (CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) affecting CycloneDX Core (Java) libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves bom validation is vulnerable to xml external entity injection. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 11.0.1.

2 Known Advisory Record(s)
Package Vulnerability Intelligence

pkg:maven/org.cyclonedx/cyclonedx-core-java

2 Known Advisory Record(s)

Vulnerability advisories affecting package pkg:maven/org.cyclonedx/cyclonedx-core-java. Select an advisory below to view technical details or fixes.

Advisory ID CVE / NVD Severity Summary
GHSA-6fhj-vr9j-g45r CVE-2025-64518 HIGH CycloneDX Core (Java): BOM validation is vulnerable to XML External Entity injection
GHSA-683x-4444-jxh8 CVE-2024-38374 HIGH Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in org.cyclonedx:cyclonedx-core-java

CVE-2025-64518 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-64518
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6fhj-vr9j-g45r
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.5
CWE Classification CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
Affected Product CycloneDX Core (Java)
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.5

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:N).

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 None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2025-64518

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected CycloneDX Core (Java) 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.cyclonedx:cyclonedx-core-java fixed: 11.0.1 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.cyclonedx</groupId>
    <artifactId>cyclonedx-core-java</artifactId>
    <version>11.0.1</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.cyclonedx

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2025-64518, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.cyclonedx

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of CycloneDX Core (Java) in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 11.0.1), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.cyclonedx 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 CycloneDX Core (Java), 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 The XML [`Validator`](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/javax/xml/validation/Validator.html) used by cyclonedx-core-java was not configured securely, making the library vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) injection. The fix for GHSA-683x-4444-jxh8 / CVE-2024-38374 has been incomplete in that it only fixed *parsing* of XML BOMs, but not *validation*. ### Patches The vulnerability has been fixed in cyclonedx-core-java version 11.0.1. ### Workarounds If feasible, applications can reject XML documents before handing them to cyclonedx-core-java for validation. This may be an option if incoming CycloneDX BOMs are known to be in JSON format. ### References * The issue was introduced via https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/commit/162aa594f347b3f612fe0a45071693c3cd398ce9 * The issue was fixed via https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/pull/737 * https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/XML_External_Entity_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet.html#schemafactory

CVE-2025-64518 Affected CycloneDX Core (Java) Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
11.0.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.cyclonedx:cyclonedx-core-java
maven/org.cyclonedx/cyclonedx-core-java
Maven
≥ 2.1.0
< 11.0.1
11.0.1

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/security/advisories/GHSA-6fhj-vr9j-g45r
NVD — CVE-2025-64518 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-64518
CycloneDX Core (Java) Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/pull/737
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/commit/162aa594f347b3f612fe0a45071693c3cd398ce9
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/commit/af0ec75c93c03f93733a070c5132554490af5314
cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/xml_ext... WEB
https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/XML_External_Entity_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet.html#schemafactory
CycloneDX Core (Java) Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-64518?
CVE-2025-64518 is a security vulnerability in CycloneDX Core (Java) involving BOM validation is vulnerable to XML External Entity injection under CWE-611: Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference.
Which CycloneDX Core (Java) versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 11.0.1 across affected packages: org.cyclonedx:cyclonedx-core-java.
What version fixes CVE-2025-64518?
Upgrading to 11.0.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is cyclonedx-core-java affected?
Yes, org.cyclonedx:cyclonedx-core-java is affected in releases prior to 11.0.1. Upgrade your dependency to 11.0.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-64518?
CVE-2025-64518 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-64518?
CVE-2025-64518 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-2025-64518?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.cyclonedx'. 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-6fhj-vr9j-g45r",
  "modified" : "2025-11-15T02:46:38Z",
  "published" : "2025-11-10T21:04:03Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-64518" ],
  "summary" : "CycloneDX Core (Java): BOM validation is vulnerable to XML External Entity injection ",
  "details" : "### Impact\n\nThe XML [`Validator`](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/javax/xml/validation/Validator.html) used by cyclonedx-core-java was not configured securely, making the library vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) injection.\n\nThe fix for GHSA-683x-4444-jxh8 / CVE-2024-38374 has been incomplete in that it only fixed *parsing* of XML BOMs, but not *validation*.\n\n### Patches\n\nThe vulnerability has been fixed in cyclonedx-core-java version 11.0.1.\n\n### Workarounds\n\nIf feasible, applications can reject XML documents before handing them to cyclonedx-core-java for validation.\nThis may be an option if incoming CycloneDX BOMs are known to be in JSON format.\n\n### References\n\n* The issue was introduced via https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/commit/162aa594f347b3f612fe0a45071693c3cd398ce9\n* The issue was fixed via https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/pull/737\n* https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/XML_External_Entity_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet.html#schemafactory",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.cyclonedx:cyclonedx-core-java"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.1.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "11.0.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/security/advisories/GHSA-6fhj-vr9j-g45r"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-64518"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/pull/737"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/commit/162aa594f347b3f612fe0a45071693c3cd398ce9"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java/commit/af0ec75c93c03f93733a070c5132554490af5314"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/XML_External_Entity_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet.html#schemafactory"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/CycloneDX/cyclonedx-core-java"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-611" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-11-10T21:04:03Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-11-10T22:15:40Z"
  }
}