XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in apoc.import.graphml

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

5.9 · CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H

EPSS

• CVE-2023-23926: 0.89% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 59.39 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Impact A XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability found in the apoc.import.graphml procedure of APOC core plugin in Neo4j graph database. XML External Entity (XXE) injection occurs when the XML parser allows external entities to be resolved. The XML parser used by the apoc.import.graphml procedure was not configured in a secure way and therefore allowed this. External entities can be used to read local files, send HTTP requests, and perform denial-of-service attacks on the application. Abusing the XXE vulnerability enabled assessors to read local files remotely. Although with the level of privileges assessors had this was limited to one-line files. With the ability to write to the database, any file could have been read. Additionally, assessors noted, with local testing, the server could be crashed by passing in improperly formatted XML. Patches The users should aim to use the latest released version compatible with their Neo4j version. The minimum versions containing patch for this…

Published by the source

16 Feb 2023, 20:46 UTC

Last modified by the source

22 Apr 2023, 05:07 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:11 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-6wxg-wh7f-rqpr

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2023-23926

Advisory: XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in apoc.import.graphml
IDs: CVE-2023-23926, GHSA-6wxg-wh7f-rqpr
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2023-23926 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:11 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.9)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core 5.5.0, 4.4.0.14. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core: affected >= 5.0.0, < 5.5.0; < 4.4.0.14; fixed in 4.4.0.14, 5.5.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core: check the installed version with your package manager.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-6wxg-wh7f-rqpr (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-6wxg-wh7f-rqpr lists affected ranges: Maven org.neo4j.procedure:apoc-core >=5.0.0 =0 <4.4.0.14)

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