# Docling: Unsafe XML Entity Expansion in USPTO Patent Backend

Advisory record · `GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg`

- **Identifiers:** `GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg` · `CVE-2026-44020` · `PYSEC-2026-240`
- **State:** Confirmed
- **Severity:** CVSS 7.5 High
- **Critical:** No
- **Weakness (CWE):** [CWE-611](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/611.html) · [CWE-776](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/776.html)
- **Tags:** [XML external entities (XXE)](https://agentprime.io/advisories/tag/xxe.md) · [Denial of service](https://agentprime.io/advisories/tag/dos.md)
- **Published:** 3 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 28 Aug 2026
- **Reviewed by a person:** No

Published by the GitHub Advisory Database at 3 Jun 2026, 21:14 UTC. agentprime has not analysed this yet, so whether it affects any app is not known.

## Affected packages

- `docling` (PyPI): affected `>=2.13.0, <2.74.0`; fixed in `2.74.0`

## Machine-written summary

Summary written by Claude Haiku from the source advisory. Not reviewed by a person.

> Docling versions from 2.13.0 before 2.74.0 are vulnerable to XML external entity attacks in the USPTO patent XML parsers (ICE, Grant v2.5 and Application v1.x). An attacker who can supply a malicious patent XML file could read arbitrary files from the server, make server-side requests, or cause denial of service through entity expansion. Upgrade docling to version 2.74.0 or later. Until then, avoid processing USPTO patent XML from untrusted sources.

Written 5 Nov 2026.

## 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

- 7.5 High, CVSS 3.1: `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`, from CNA (GitHub_M)

- **CISA KEV:** Not listed.
- **EPSS:** 0.0060, the 48th percentile, on 5 Nov 2026: FIRST’s estimate of the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

## Timeline

- 31 Oct 2026, 14:39 UTC: First seen by agentprime
- 31 Oct 2026, 14:39 UTC: [Confirmed by OSV](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg)

## Sources

- [GitHub Advisory Database: GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg)
- [OSV: GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg](https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg)
- <https://github.com/docling-project/docling/security/advisories/GHSA-m88r-rg27-5xfg>
- <https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44020>
- <https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60520>
- <https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-44020>
- <https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2492456>
- <https://github.com/docling-project/docling>
- <https://github.com/docling-project/docling/releases/tag/v2.74.0>
- <https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/docling/PYSEC-2026-240.yaml>
- <https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-44020.json>

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-m88r-rg27-5xfg>, 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-m88r-rg27-5xfg/>. Everything for agents: <https://agentprime.io/llms.txt>.