CVE-2023-42445

Name: CVE-2023-42445
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2023-10-06T14:15:12.103+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.3/10EPSS 0.67%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2023-42445 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.3/10 on the CVSS scale. Gradle is a build tool with a focus on build automation and support for multi-language development. In some cases, when Gradle parses XML files, resolving XML external entities is not disabled. EPSS estimates a 0.67% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Gradle is a build tool with a focus on build automation and support for multi-language development. In some cases, when Gradle parses XML files, resolving XML external entities is not disabled. Combined with an Out Of Band XXE attack (OOB-XXE), just parsing XML can lead to exfiltration of local text files to a remote server. Gradle parses XML files for several purposes. Most of the time, Gradle parses XML files it generated or were already present locally. Only Ivy XML descriptors and Maven POM files can be fetched from remote repositories and parsed by Gradle. In Gradle 7.6.3 and 8.4, resolving XML external entities has been disabled for all use cases to protect against this vulnerability. Gradle will now refuse to parse XML files that have XML external entities.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.67%

47.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Gradle	Gradle	< 7.6.3
Gradle	Gradle	>= 8.0.0, < 8.4.0

References

https://github.com/gradle/gradle/releases/tag/v7.6.3Release Notes
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/releases/tag/v8.4.0Release Notes
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/security/advisories/GHSA-mrff-q8qj-xvg8Vendor Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231110-0006/Third Party Advisory
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/releases/tag/v7.6.3Release Notes
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/releases/tag/v8.4.0Release Notes
https://github.com/gradle/gradle/security/advisories/GHSA-mrff-q8qj-xvg8Vendor Advisory
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20231110-0006/Third Party Advisory

Timeline

Published: Oct 6, 2023
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-42445?

How severe is CVE-2023-42445?

CVE-2023-42445 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.67% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2023-42445?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2023-42445?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST