CVE-2023-27554Network attack vector

Sensitive-data disclosure and memory exhaustion via XXE

Published May 11, 2023 · Updated Jan 24, 2025

XXE in IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 allows remote authenticated users to read sensitive data or exhaust memory. IBM has not disclosed the XML-processing component or parser operation that permits external entity resolution. Exploitation requires low-privilege access and user interaction; impact is limited to sensitive-data disclosure or memory consumption.

CVSS severity6.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.86%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

XXE in IBM WebSphere Application Server 8.5 and 9.0 allows remote authenticated users to read sensitive data or exhaust memory. IBM has not disclosed the XML-processing component or parser operation that permits external entity resolution. Exploitation requires low-privilege access and user interaction; impact is limited to sensitive-data disclosure or memory consumption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-27554
Published
May 11, 2023
Updated
Jan 24, 2025
Vendor
IBM
Product
IBM WebSphere Application Server
Classifications
CWE-611
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 11, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 24, 2025Record 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=8.5, 9.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IBM · IBM WebSphere Application Serverversion=8.5, 9.0

Published CVSS scores

6.3IBM Security BulletinCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L
6.3IBM Corporation CNACVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:L

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
Privilegesauthenticated
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.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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