CVE-2014-0054 in Spring Framework
Summary
by MITRE
The Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter in Spring MVC in Spring Framework before 3.2.8 and 4.0.0 before 4.0.2 does not disable external entity resolution, which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files, cause a denial of service, and conduct CSRF attacks via crafted XML, aka an XML External Entity (XXE) issue. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2013-4152, CVE-2013-7315, and CVE-2013-6429.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/11/2026
The CVE-2014-0054 vulnerability represents a critical XML External Entity processing flaw in the Spring Framework's Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter component. This vulnerability specifically affects Spring MVC implementations running versions prior to 3.2.8 and 4.0.2, creating a persistent security risk that extends beyond traditional XML parsing concerns. The flaw stems from the converter's failure to properly disable external entity resolution during XML processing, which allows malicious actors to exploit this weakness through crafted XML payloads that can traverse the file system and access sensitive resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability leverages the inherent capabilities of XML processors to resolve external entities, which are references to external resources that can be loaded and processed during XML parsing. When the Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter fails to disable external entity resolution, it creates an attack surface where remote adversaries can construct malicious XML documents containing references to local files, network resources, or even internal system components. This behavior directly aligns with CWE-611, which classifies issues related to improper restriction of XML external entity references, and represents a sophisticated form of XXE attack that can be leveraged for information disclosure, denial of service, and cross-site request forgery exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple file access capabilities, as it provides attackers with the means to conduct comprehensive system reconnaissance and potentially escalate privileges within the application environment. Remote attackers can utilize this vulnerability to read arbitrary files from the application server, potentially accessing configuration files, database credentials, application source code, or other sensitive information stored on the server. The vulnerability also enables denial of service conditions by causing the application to consume excessive resources when processing malicious XML documents, and can facilitate CSRF attacks by allowing attackers to manipulate the application's behavior through crafted XML requests that appear legitimate to the system.
The vulnerability's persistence is particularly concerning as it represents an incomplete fix for previous XXE vulnerabilities including CVE-2013-4152, CVE-2013-7315, and CVE-2013-6429, indicating a pattern of inadequate security hardening in the Spring Framework's XML processing components. This incomplete remediation demonstrates how security fixes can sometimes create false senses of security, leaving applications vulnerable to similar attack vectors that were previously thought to be resolved. Organizations running affected Spring Framework versions face significant risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be exploited through any application endpoint that processes XML input through the affected message converter, making it particularly dangerous in web applications that accept user-provided XML data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-0054 require immediate application of the vendor-provided security patches that properly disable external entity resolution in the Jaxb2RootElementHttpMessageConverter. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as XML input validation, content type restrictions, and comprehensive network segmentation to limit potential attack vectors. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all applications using affected Spring Framework versions and ensure that proper XML processing configurations are implemented across all system components. The remediation process must also include monitoring and logging of XML processing activities to detect potential exploitation attempts, while adhering to security best practices outlined in the ATT&CK framework's methodology for identifying and mitigating XXE vulnerabilities through proper input sanitization and resource access controls.