CVE-2025-66516Public exploitNetwork attack vector

File disclosure and SSRF via XFA entity resolution

Published Dec 4, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

XXE in Apache Tika modules through 3.2.1 allows remote attackers to access local files or internal services via crafted XFA PDFs. XMLReaderUtils.getXMLInputFactory creates a StAX parser without disabling DTD processing or external entity resolution when PDFParser extracts embedded XFA XML. Exploitation requires an integrating application to parse an attacker-controlled PDF; entity resolution can read local data, issue server-side requests, or interrupt service.

CVSS severity10.0
Critical
EPSS probability87.69%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

XXE in Apache Tika modules through 3.2.1 allows remote attackers to access local files or internal services via crafted XFA PDFs. XMLReaderUtils.getXMLInputFactory creates a StAX parser without disabling DTD processing or external entity resolution when PDFParser extracts embedded XFA XML. Exploitation requires an integrating application to parse an attacker-controlled PDF; entity resolution can read local data, issue server-side requests, or interrupt service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-66516
Published
Dec 4, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
The Apache Software Foundation
Product
Apache Tika Core
Classifications
CWE-611, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 2026Record 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=1.13 <=3.2.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Apache Software Foundation · Apache Tika Coreversion=1.13 <=3.2.1
The Apache Software Foundation · Apache Tika PDF Parser Moduleversion=2.0.0 <=3.2.1
The Apache Software Foundation · Apache Tika Parsersversion=1.13 <2.0.0

Published CVSS scores

10.0GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H

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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-611Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

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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