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GHSA-rqfh-9r24-8c9r

HighCVSS 8.2 / 10
Published Jan 26, 2026·Last modified Feb 3, 2026
Affected Components(0)

No affected components available

Description

An XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability exists in org.assertj.core.util.xml.XmlStringPrettyFormatter: the toXmlDocument(String) method initializes DocumentBuilderFactory with default settings, without disabling DTDs or external entities. This formatter is used by the isXmlEqualTo(CharSequence) assertion for CharSequence values.

An application is vulnerable only when it uses untrusted XML input with one of the following methods:

  • isXmlEqualTo(CharSequence) from org.assertj.core.api.AbstractCharSequenceAssert
  • xmlPrettyFormat(String) from org.assertj.core.util.xml.XmlStringPrettyFormatter

Impact

If untrusted XML input is processed by the methods mentioned above (e.g., in test environments handling external fixture files), an attacker could:

  • Read arbitrary local files via file:// URIs (e.g., /etc/passwd, application configuration files)
  • Perform Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) via HTTP/HTTPS URIs
  • Cause Denial of Service via "Billion Laughs" entity expansion attacks

Mitigation

isXmlEqualTo(CharSequence) has been deprecated in favor of XMLUnit in version 3.18.0 and will be removed in version 4.0. Users of affected versions should, in order of preference:

  1. Replace isXmlEqualTo(CharSequence) with XMLUnit, or
  2. Upgrade to version 3.27.7, or
  3. Avoid using isXmlEqualTo(CharSequence) or XmlStringPrettyFormatter with untrusted input.

XmlStringPrettyFormatter has historically been considered a utility for isXmlEqualTo(CharSequence) rather than a feature for AssertJ users, so it is deprecated in version 3.27.7 and removed in version 4.0, with no replacement.

References

Risk Scores
Base Score
8.2

The vulnerability requires local access to the device to be exploited. It is easy for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability. An attacker needs basic access or low-level privileges. No user interaction is needed for the attacker to exploit this vulnerability.

Threat Intelligence
5.5

Exploitation attempts have been detected. Elevated vigilance and prompt remediation are advised.

EPSS
0.54%

The exploit probability is very low. The vulnerability is unlikely to be exploited in the next 30 days.

Exploit
Not available

We did not find any exploit available. Neither in GitHub repositories nor in the Exploit-Database.

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