CVE-2022-2838Network attack vector

Local file disclosure via external entity processing

Published Aug 16, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

XXE in Eclipse Sphinx before 0.13.1 allows remote attackers to read local files through crafted XML containing external entities. Sphinx invokes Apache Xerces with referenced external entity processing enabled, so attacker-supplied DTD definitions resolve local files and send their contents in HTTP requests. Exploitation requires unauthenticated network delivery of crafted XML to a Sphinx-based application that passes it to the vulnerable parser.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.54%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

XXE in Eclipse Sphinx before 0.13.1 allows remote attackers to read local files through crafted XML containing external entities. Sphinx invokes Apache Xerces with referenced external entity processing enabled, so attacker-supplied DTD definitions resolve local files and send their contents in HTTP requests. Exploitation requires unauthenticated network delivery of crafted XML to a Sphinx-based application that passes it to the vulnerable parser.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-2838
Published
Aug 16, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
The Eclipse Foundation
Product
Eclipse Sphinx
Classifications
CWE-611
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 16, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0.7.0 <unspecified
  2. Affected versionversion=unspecified <0.13.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Eclipse Foundation · Eclipse Sphinxversion=0.7.0 <unspecified; version=unspecified <0.13.1

Published CVSS scores

5.3NISTCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

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

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-611Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference

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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