In Eclipse AAS4J before 3.0.1, `XmlSchemaValidator.validateSchema()` (and `AASXValidator.validateSchema()`, which calls it) validates untrusted XML with a default JAXP `Validator` that resolves external DTDs and external entities. An attacker who supplies a crafted AAS XML document or AASX package can read local files from the host, send their contents out-of-band to an attacker-controlled server, and make the validating process send arbitrary outbound requests (SSRF). Validation still returns no errors.
Details:
- Vulnerable code: `dataformat-xml/src/main/java/org/eclipse/digitaltwin/aas4j/v3/dataformat/xml/XmlSchemaValidator.java`. `schema.newValidator().validate(new StreamSource(...))` runs without `ACCESS_EXTERNAL_DTD` / `ACCESS_EXTERNAL_SCHEMA` restrictions and without `disallow-doctype-decl`.
- Second entry point: `dataformat-aasx/src/main/java/org/eclipse/digitaltwin/aas4j/v3/dataformat/aasx/AASXValidator.java`. The AAS XML part of an `.aasx` package is passed unchanged to the vulnerable validator.
- `XmlDeserializer` (Jackson/Woodstox) is not affected, because DTD support is disabled by default there.
- Present since the initial import of the code base (commit `cc9da52`).
- Fix: harden the validator by setting `ACCESS_EXTERNAL_DTD` and `ACCESS_EXTERNAL_SCHEMA` to `""` and rejecting `DOCTYPE` declarations. The bundled `AAS.xsd` does not need DTDs, so no functionality is lost.
With curated Threat Intelligence, you can see which vulnerabilities truly put you at risk, prioritize what matters most, and act before attackers do.
Explore Intelligence Hub