# CVE-2024-21796: XML external entity in Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool (Construction Edition)

> An attacker can read arbitrary files on the system by processing a specially crafted XML file in the Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** 24 Jan 2024
- **Updated:** 10 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c67q-c83x-f549

## What is CVE-2024-21796?

CVE-2024-21796 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ministry of Defense Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool (Construction Edition), published on 24 Jan 2024. 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

Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool (Construction Edition) prior to Ver1.0.4 and Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool (Design & Survey Edition) prior to Ver1.0.4 improperly restrict XML external entity references (XXE). By processing a specially crafted XML file, arbitrary files on the system may be read by an attacker.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-21796?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Dfeg Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-21796?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-21796 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-21796 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21796 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-21796 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-21796 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Ministry of Defense Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool (Construction Edition), published on 24 Jan 2024. 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: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-21796 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Ministry of Defense Electronic Deliverables Creation Support Tool (Construction Edition). 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-2024-21796/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21796/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-21796
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-21796
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-21796

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-21796/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.