CVE-2021-42646

File disclosure and resource exhaustion via XML entities

Published May 11, 2022 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

XXE in affected WSO2 API Manager and Identity Server releases allows remote authenticated users to read files or exhaust resources. ApplicationManagementServiceImpl unmarshals imported service-provider XML without a SAX parser configured to reject external entity and DTD resolution. Management Console access from an adjacent network and high privileges are required; exploitation exposes readable server files or consumes server resources.

CVSS severity5.2
Medium
EPSS probability3.70%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

XXE in affected WSO2 API Manager and Identity Server releases allows remote authenticated users to read files or exhaust resources. ApplicationManagementServiceImpl unmarshals imported service-provider XML without a SAX parser configured to reject external entity and DTD resolution. Management Console access from an adjacent network and high privileges are required; exploitation exposes readable server files or consumes server resources.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-42646
Published
May 11, 2022
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-611, T1005
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 11, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

9.1NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
5.2WSO2CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
6.4NIST NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-611Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
T1005Data from Local System

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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