# CVE-2018-8532: XML external entity in SQL Server Management Studio 17.9

> An attacker can disclose sensitive information by tricking a user into opening a malicious XMLA file in SQL Server Management Studio.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Oct 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x45m-w2h7-rx2r

## What is CVE-2018-8532?

CVE-2018-8532 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.9, published on 10 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

An information disclosure vulnerability exists in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) when parsing a malicious XMLA file containing a reference to an external entity, aka "SQL Server Management Studio Information Disclosure Vulnerability." This affects SQL Server Management Studio 17.9, SQL Server Management Studio 18.0. This CVE ID is unique from CVE-2018-8527, CVE-2018-8533.

Weakness: CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-8532?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Sql Server Management Studio.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-8532?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-8532 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-8532 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-8532 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.9 - '.xmla' XML External Entity Injection (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.9

- [CVE-2026-65669](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-65669/): Microsoft SQL Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (critical 9.6)
- [CVE-2025-29803](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-29803/): Visual Studio Tools for Applications and SQL Server Management Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (high 7.3)
- [CVE-2019-1313](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1313/): Information disclosure in SQL Server Management Studio (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2019-1376](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-1376/): Information disclosure in SQL Server Management Studio (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2018-8527](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8527/): XML external entity in SQL Server Management Studio 17.9 (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-8532 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-8532 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.9, published on 10 Oct 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2018-8532 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 17.9. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8532/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8532/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-8532
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-8532
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-8532

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-8532/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.