# Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference in iText

Advisory record · `GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx`

- **Identifiers:** `GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx` · `CVE-2017-9096`
- **State:** Confirmed
- **Severity:** CVSS 8.8 High
- **Critical:** No
- **Weakness (CWE):** [CWE-611](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html)
- **Tags:** [XML external entities (XXE)](https://agentprime.io/advisories/tag/xxe.md)
- **Published:** 13 May 2022
- **Updated:** 6 Mar 2024
- **Reviewed by a person:** No

Published by the GitHub Advisory Database at 13 May 2022, 01:14 UTC. agentprime has not analysed this yet, so whether it affects any app is not known.

## Affected packages

- `com.itextpdf:itextpdf` (Maven): affected `<5.5.12 || >=7.0.0, <7.0.3`; fixed in `5.5.12`, `7.0.3`
- `com.lowagie:itext` (Maven): affected `<=4.2.2`; no fixed version yet

## Not analysed yet

We haven’t published our analysis of this Advisory yet. Once a person has reviewed it, this page will say what’s vulnerable, what has to be true for your app to be affected, and how to check.

## Severity and exploitation

- 8.8 High, CVSS 3.0: `CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`, from GitHub Advisory Database

- **CISA KEV:** Not listed.
- **EPSS:** 0.096, the 95th percentile, on 11 Nov 2026: FIRST’s estimate of the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

## Timeline

This record came from the full history of the GitHub Advisory Database, published 13 May 2022. New records show when each source confirmed them.

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory Database: GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx)
- [OSV: GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx)
- <https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9096>
- <https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docLocale=en_US&docId=emr_na-hpesbhf03902en_us>
- <https://www.compass-security.com/fileadmin/Datein/Research/Advisories/CSNC-2017-017_itext_xml_external_entity_attack.txt>
- <https://www.oracle.com/security-alerts/cpuoct2020.html>
- <http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/541483/100/0/threaded>

Facts on this page come from the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0), OSV and the other sources listed, as published. We don’t reproduce full advisory descriptions, which can contain exploit code.

## Check whether this affects you

A Match means an installed version is in the affected range above. Most don’t affect the app; agentprime hasn’t analysed this one yet.

- With the agentprime MCP server (<https://api.agentprime.io/mcp>), ask your agent to check the project: `check_lockfile` sends a lockfile, `check_packages` a list of installed packages, and both return the Matches and the upgrades that clear them. `get_advisory` returns this record. Setup: <https://agentprime.io/mcp.md>
- In a browser: <https://agentprime.io/check/> reads your lockfile in the browser, never uploading it.
- Whether it touches your code, with file and line: the Claude Code plugin, <https://agentprime.io/plugin.md>
- As JSON: <https://api.agentprime.io/v1/advisories/GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx>, or `POST https://api.agentprime.io/v1/match` with your packages (<https://agentprime.io/api.md>)

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The web page: <https://agentprime.io/advisories/GHSA-86p9-x5pw-94qx/>. Everything for agents: <https://agentprime.io/llms.txt>.