Apache Tika XXE Vulnerability via Crafted XFA File Inside a PDF

Exploitation

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

CVSS 4.0

9.3 · CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N · score source

EPSS

• CVE-2025-54988: 47.95% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 98.86 (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.

Critical XXE in Apache Tika (tika-parser-pdf-module) in Apache Tika 1.13 through and including 3.2.1 on all platforms allows an attacker to carry out XML External Entity injection via a crafted XFA file inside of a PDF. An attacker may be able to read sensitive data or trigger malicious requests to internal resources or third-party servers. Note that the tika-parser-pdf-module is used as a dependency in several Tika packages including at least: tika-parsers-standard-modules, tika-parsers-standard-package, tika-app, tika-grpc and tika-server-standard. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.

Published by the source

20 Aug 2025, 21:30 UTC

Last modified by the source

5 Nov 2025, 20:40 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 16:40 UTC

1. Revision 1 · created · 26 Oct 2026

   Published from ghsa record GHSA-p72g-pv48-7w9x

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2025-54988

Advisory: Apache Tika XXE Vulnerability via Crafted XFA File Inside a PDF
IDs: CVE-2025-54988, GHSA-p72g-pv48-7w9x
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2025-54988 (revision 1, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 16:40 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Critical (CVSS 9.3)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: org.apache.tika:tika-parsers 2.0.0-ALPHA; org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module 3.2.2. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- Maven org.apache.tika:tika-parsers: affected >= 1.13, < 2.0.0-ALPHA; fixed in 2.0.0-ALPHA
- Maven org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module: affected >= 1.13, < 3.2.2; fixed in 3.2.2

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- Maven org.apache.tika:tika-parsers: check the installed version with your package manager.
- Maven org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module: 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.apache.tika:tika-parsers, org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module.
- 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-p72g-pv48-7w9x (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-p72g-pv48-7w9x lists affected ranges: Maven org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module >=1.13 =1.13 <2.0.0-ALPHA)

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