#VU31399 XML External Entity injection in iText - CVE-2017-9096

Vulnerability identifier: #VU31399

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 6.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2017-9096

CWE-ID: CWE-611

Exploitation vector: Network

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
iText
Universal components / Libraries / Libraries used by multiple products

Vendor: iText Group NV

Description

The vulnerability allows a remote non-authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code.

The XML parsers in iText before 5.5.12 and 7.x before 7.0.3 do not disable external entities, which might allow remote attackers to conduct XML external entity (XXE) attacks via a crafted PDF.

Mitigation
Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

iText: 5.5.0 - 5.5.11

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External links
https://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/541483/100/0/threaded
https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03902en_us
https://www.compass-security.com/fileadmin/Datein/Research/Advisories/CSNC-2017-017_itext_xml_external_entity_attack.txt

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

Yes. This vulnerability can be exploited by a remote non-authenticated attacker via the Internet.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

No. We are not aware of malware exploiting this vulnerability.