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CVE-2026-120761Apache Axis2/Java XML external entity

Low priorityNot scoredEPSS not scored yet

CVE-2026-120761 is a XML external entity in Apache Axis2/Java, not yet scored.

Why this priority: Not scored yet, and no exploitation signal.

Published · Updated · NVD status: Received

What it is

The XML parser resolves external entities, so a crafted document can read local files or reach internal hosts.

How it is reached

The record does not say yet how the flaw is reached; the description below is the best guide until it is scored.

What an attacker gains

Its impact has not been scored yet. In practice, this kind of flaw lets an attacker read local files or reach internal hosts through the parser.

Is it being exploited?

There is no public report of exploitation yet.

What to do

  1. Upgrade Apache Axis2/Java to 2.0.2 or later.

Description from NVD

Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference vulnerability in Apache Axis2/Java. When a client built an AxisService from a WSDL URL, through ServiceClient or AxisService.createClientSideAxisService, wsdl4j import resolution was enabled and the documents named by wsdl:import and xsd:import were parsed by wsdl4j's own XML parser, which processes DOCTYPE declarations and external entities. An attacker who controls a WSDL, or a document it imports, could therefore read local files or make the JVM issue network requests. This issue affects Apache Axis2/Java: through 2.0.1. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.0.2, which fixes the issue.

What this means for your architecture.

A CVE names a product. Whether it matters depends on where that product sits in your systems: what reaches it, which trust boundary it guards and what it can reach once compromised. Veriom maps your components, their relationships and your trust boundaries from your code, cloud and delivery evidence, so you can see where a component like this sits. The radar itself does not look at your systems.

Components it touches

  • XML and document parsers in APIs and import features. The flaw sits between uploaded or posted documents and the service parsing them.

Trust boundaries in play

  • Between uploaded or posted documents and the service parsing them. An attacker who crosses it can read local files or reach internal hosts through the parser.

Questions to answer about your own systems

  • Where does Apache Axis2/Java run in your systems, and at which version?
  • Which of those instances are reachable by people you do not trust?
  • What can it reach once compromised: which data stores, secrets and services?

Sources

  • CVE records and CVSS scores from the NVD CVE API. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
  • Exploitation status from CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
  • Exploit likelihood from FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS), refreshed daily.
  • Explanations are written by Veriom from fixed templates over each record’s data, not by a person reviewing each CVE. Descriptions are quoted from the records as published.