CVE-2025-54988: Apache Tika PDF parser module: XXE vulnerability in PDFParser's handling of XFA
Critical XXE in Apache Tika (tika-parser-pdf-module) in Apache Tika 1.13 through and including 3.2.1 on all platforms allows an attacker to carry out XML External Entity injection via a crafted XFA file inside of a PDF. An attacker may be able to read sensitive data or trigger malicious requests to internal resources or third-party servers. Note that the tika-parser-pdf-module is used as a dependency in several Tika packages including at least: tika-parsers-standard-modules, tika-parsers-standard-package, tika-app, tika-grpc and tika-server-standard.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-54988?
CVE-2025-54988 has been classified as a critical vulnerability due to its potential to allow XML External Entity injection.
How do I fix CVE-2025-54988?
To fix CVE-2025-54988, upgrade Apache Tika to version 3.2.2 or later.
What can attackers achieve with CVE-2025-54988?
Attackers can exploit CVE-2025-54988 to read sensitive data or trigger malicious actions using a crafted XFA file in a PDF.
Which versions of Apache Tika are affected by CVE-2025-54988?
Apache Tika versions 1.13 through 3.2.1 are affected by CVE-2025-54988.
Is CVE-2025-54988 platform-specific?
CVE-2025-54988 affects all platforms running the specified versions of Apache Tika.