Docling: Unsafe Archive Extraction and XML Parsing in METS-GBS Backend

Exploitation

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

CVSS

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

EPSS

• CVE-2026-44018: 0.16% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 5.32 (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 The METS-GBS backend's XML parsing and the input document format detection lacked security controls, enabling: - XML External Entity (XXE) attacks to read local files or cause denial of service - Decompression bombs (zip bombs) to exhaust memory and disk space - Unbounded archive extraction consuming system resources An attacker could craft malicious METS-GBS archives that, when processed, could read sensitive files, exhaust system resources, or cause application crashes. Patches Fixed in version 2.91.0. The fix implements: - Secure XML parsing with resolveentities=False, loaddtd=False, and nonetwork=True - Configurable limits: 300 MB total extraction size, 10 MB per file, 1000 member count - Cumulative size tracking across all extractions - Early termination when limits are exceeded - Secure format detection of METS-GBS tar archives with detectmetsgbs() method: maximum file size (10 MB per file), maximum member count (1000 members), and exception handling to gracefully fail…

Published by the source

3 Jun 2026, 21:13 UTC

Last modified by the source

21 Jul 2026, 15:15 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 13:49 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv

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# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-44018

Advisory: Docling: Unsafe Archive Extraction and XML Parsing in METS-GBS Backend
IDs: CVE-2026-44018, GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-44018 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 13:49 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Medium (CVSS 5.5)
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: docling 2.91.0. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- PyPI docling: affected >= 2.45.0, < 2.91.0; fixed in 2.91.0

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `python -m pip show docling`: prints the installed version. Run with the environment that serves production active.

## 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 docling.
- 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://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv (OSV record GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv lists affected ranges: PyPI docling >=2.45.0 <2.91.0 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-r3xg-rg9j-67fv lists affected ranges: PyPI docling >=2.45.0 <2.91.0)

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