CVE-2010-2076 in CXF
Summary
by MITRE
Apache CXF 2.0.x before 2.0.13, 2.1.x before 2.1.10, and 2.2.x before 2.2.9, as used in Apache ServiceMix, Apache Camel, Apache Chemistry, Apache jUDDI, Apache Geronimo, and other products, does not properly reject DTDs in SOAP messages, which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files, send HTTP requests to intranet servers, or cause a denial of service (CPU and memory consumption) via a crafted DTD, as demonstrated by an entity declaration in a request to samples/wsdl_first_pure_xml, a similar issue to CVE-2010-1632.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/07/2019
Apache CXF versions prior to 2.0.13, 2.1.10, and 2.2.9 contain a critical vulnerability in their SOAP message processing implementation that fails to properly reject Document Type Definitions. This flaw stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the XML parsing layer, allowing malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted DTD declarations in SOAP requests. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes XML documents containing external entity references, enabling attackers to perform unauthorized file access operations, internal network reconnaissance, and resource exhaustion attacks. The specific attack vector involves sending malicious SOAP messages with embedded DTDs that reference external entities, which can lead to information disclosure through file reading capabilities or cause denial of service conditions by consuming excessive CPU and memory resources. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 (Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols) as it exploits web services communication channels. The impact extends across multiple Apache projects including ServiceMix, Camel, Chemistry, jUDDI, and Geronimo, making it particularly dangerous due to its widespread adoption. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to read sensitive files from the server filesystem, perform server-side request forgery attacks against internal systems, or execute resource exhaustion attacks that can bring the service to a complete halt. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows attackers to bypass network segmentation controls and access internal resources that would normally be protected from external access. The flaw represents a classic XML external entity processing issue where the system fails to properly sanitize XML input before parsing, creating multiple attack surfaces for exploitation. Organizations using affected versions should immediately implement patches to address this vulnerability and consider implementing network-level restrictions to prevent unauthorized access to SOAP endpoints. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper XML processing validation and input sanitization in web service implementations, particularly those handling untrusted data from external sources. Security practitioners should monitor for signs of exploitation attempts and implement appropriate network segmentation measures to limit the potential impact of such attacks. The issue is closely related to other XML external entity vulnerabilities and highlights the ongoing challenges in securing web services against malformed input processing attacks.