# CVE-2019-3773: Spring Web Services XML External Entity Injection (XXE)

> Attackers can exploit XML External Entity injection in Spring Web Services to read sensitive data or cause denial of service.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Jan 2019
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8222-6fc8-mhvf

## What is CVE-2019-3773?

CVE-2019-3773 is a critical vulnerability in Oracle Financial Services Analytical Applications Infrastructure, published on 18 Jan 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Spring Web Services, versions 2.4.3, 3.0.4, and older unsupported versions of all three projects, were susceptible to XML External Entity Injection (XXE) when receiving XML data from untrusted sources.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-3773?

8 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.springframework.ws:spring-ws and org.springframework.ws:spring-xml. It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-ws` | Maven | All versions | 2.4.4 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-ws` | Maven | All versions | 2.4.4 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-ws` | Maven | From 3.0.0 | 3.0.6 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-ws` | Maven | From 3.0.0 | 3.0.6 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | All versions | 2.4.4 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | All versions | 2.4.4 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 3.0.0 | 3.0.6 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 3.0.0 | 3.0.6 |

Products: Broadcom Spring Web Services, Oracle Financial Services Analytical Applications Infrastructure, Oracle Flexcube Private Banking.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-3773?

Upgrade org.springframework.ws:spring-ws to a fixed version for your release line: 2.4.4 or 3.0.6.

## Is CVE-2019-3773 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-3773 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Oracle Financial Services Analytical Applications Infrastructure

- [CVE-2026-40999](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40999/): Spring WS SSRF via unvalidated WS-Addressing reply destinations (high 8.6)
- [CVE-2026-40994](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40994/): Wss4jSecurityInterceptor disables WS-I BSP validation by default (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2026-40998](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40998/): Jaxp13 XPath XXE via StreamSource and SAXSource (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2026-40995](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40995/): X.509 authentication bypasses Spring Security account checks (medium 5.4)
- [CVE-2026-40997](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40997/): SOAP security faults leak Spring Security account state (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-3773 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-3773 is a critical vulnerability in Oracle Financial Services Analytical Applications Infrastructure, published on 18 Jan 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-3773 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.springframework.ws:spring-ws (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 2.4.4
- org.springframework.ws:spring-ws (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 2.4.4
- org.springframework.ws:spring-ws (Maven): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.0.6
- org.springframework.ws:spring-ws (Maven): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.0.6
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 2.4.4
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 2.4.4
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.0.6
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 3.0.0; fixed in 3.0.6

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-2019-3773/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3773/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-3773
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-3773
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-3773

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3773/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.