# CVE-2026-40998: Jaxp13 XPath XXE via StreamSource and SAXSource

> Attackers can exploit XXE vulnerabilities in Spring Web Services by sending malicious XML payloads to applications evaluating XPath expressions.

- **Severity:** High 8.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 23 Jun 2026
- **Also known as:** CLSA-2026-1788350691, GHSA-2mpf-m756-hxjm, ROOT-APP-MAVEN-CVE-2026-40998

## What is CVE-2026-40998?

CVE-2026-40998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Spring Web Services, published on 11 Jun 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Jaxp13XPathTemplate evaluated XPath expressions for StreamSource and SAXSource inputs using a code path that parsed attacker-controlled XML with the JDK's default DocumentBuilderFactory behavior instead of Spring's hardened parser configuration. Applications that evaluate XPath against untrusted XML payloads could therefore be exposed to XML External Entity (XXE) style attacks.

Affected versions:
Spring Web Services 5.0.0 through 5.0.1; 4.1.0 through 4.1.3; 4.0.0 through 4.0.18; 3.1.0 through 3.1.8.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-40998?

8 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.springframework.ws:spring-xml. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 3.1.0 to 3.1.8 | None |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 3.1.0 to 3.1.8 | None |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 4.0.0 to 4.0.18 | None |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 4.0.0 to 4.0.18 | None |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 4.1.0 | 4.1.4 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 4.1.0 | 4.1.4 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 5.0.0 | 5.0.2 |
| `org.springframework.ws:spring-xml` | Maven | From 5.0.0 | 5.0.2 |

Products: Broadcom Spring Web Services.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-40998?

Upgrade org.springframework.ws:spring-xml to a fixed version for your release line: 4.1.4 or 5.0.2.

## Is CVE-2026-40998 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-40998 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Spring Web Services

- [CVE-2019-3773](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-3773/): Spring Web Services XML External Entity Injection (XXE) (critical 9.8)
- [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-2026-40995](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-2026-40998 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-40998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Spring Web Services, published on 11 Jun 2026. 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-2026-40998 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 3.1.0 up to 3.1.8; no fix listed
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 3.1.0 up to 3.1.8; no fix listed
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 4.0.0 up to 4.0.18; no fix listed
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 4.0.0 up to 4.0.18; no fix listed
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 4.1.0; fixed in 4.1.4
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 4.1.0; fixed in 4.1.4
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 5.0.0; fixed in 5.0.2
- org.springframework.ws:spring-xml (Maven): affected from 5.0.0; fixed in 5.0.2

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-2026-40998/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40998/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-40998
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40998
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-40998

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-40998/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.