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LocalS3 CreateBucketConfiguration Endpoint XML External Entity (XXE) Injection

Moderate severity GitHub Reviewed Published Mar 9, 2025 in Robothy/local-s3 • Updated Mar 14, 2025

Package

maven io.github.robothy:local-s3-rest (Maven)

Affected versions

< 1.21

Patched versions

1.21

Description

Description

The LocalS3 service's bucket creation endpoint is vulnerable to XML External Entity (XXE) injection. When processing the CreateBucketConfiguration XML document during bucket creation, the service's XML parser is configured to resolve external entities. This allows an attacker to declare an external entity that references an internal URL, which the server will then attempt to fetch when parsing the XML.

The vulnerability specifically occurs in the location constraint processing, where the XML parser resolves external entities without proper validation or restrictions. When the external entity is resolved, the server makes an HTTP request to the specified URL and includes the response content in the parsed XML document.

This vulnerability can be exploited to perform server-side request forgery (SSRF) attacks, allowing an attacker to make requests to internal services or resources that should not be accessible from external networks. The server will include the responses from these internal requests in the resulting bucket configuration, effectively leaking sensitive information.

Steps to Reproduce

  1. Create an XML document that includes an external entity declaration pointing to the internal target:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE test [ <!ENTITY xxe SYSTEM "http://internal-web/flag.txt"> ]>
<CreateBucketConfiguration>
    <LocationConstraint>&xxe;</LocationConstraint>
</CreateBucketConfiguration>
  1. Send a PUT request to create a new bucket with this configuration:
curl -X PUT http://app/test-bucket-2 -H 'Content-Type: application/xml' -d @payload.xml
  1. Retrieve the bucket location to see the resolved entity content:
curl http://app/test-bucket-2/?location

When these steps are executed, the server processes the XML, resolves the external entity by making a request to the internal URL, and includes the response in the bucket's location constraint. The attacker can then retrieve this information through the bucket location endpoint.

Mitigations

  • Disable XML external entity resolution in the XML parser configuration. Most XML parsers have options to disable external entity processing.
  • Implement proper input validation for XML documents, rejecting those that contain DOCTYPE declarations or external entity references.
  • Use XML parsers that are configured securely by default and don't process external entities.
  • If external entity processing is required, implement a whitelist of allowed URLs and validate all URLs before making any requests.

Impact

The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to make the server perform HTTP requests to internal networks and services, potentially exposing sensitive information or enabling further attacks against internal systems. The attacker only needs to be able to send HTTP requests to the LocalS3 service to exploit this vulnerability.

References

@Robothy Robothy published to Robothy/local-s3 Mar 9, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Mar 10, 2025
Reviewed Mar 10, 2025
Published by the National Vulnerability Database Mar 10, 2025
Last updated Mar 14, 2025

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector Network
Attack Complexity Low
Attack Requirements None
Privileges Required None
User interaction None
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality None
Integrity None
Availability None
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality Low
Integrity Low
Availability None

CVSS v4 base metrics

Exploitability Metrics
Attack Vector: This metric reflects the context by which vulnerability exploitation is possible. This metric value (and consequently the resulting severity) will be larger the more remote (logically, and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerable system. The assumption is that the number of potential attackers for a vulnerability that could be exploited from across a network is larger than the number of potential attackers that could exploit a vulnerability requiring physical access to a device, and therefore warrants a greater severity.
Attack Complexity: This metric captures measurable actions that must be taken by the attacker to actively evade or circumvent existing built-in security-enhancing conditions in order to obtain a working exploit. These are conditions whose primary purpose is to increase security and/or increase exploit engineering complexity. A vulnerability exploitable without a target-specific variable has a lower complexity than a vulnerability that would require non-trivial customization. This metric is meant to capture security mechanisms utilized by the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: This metric captures the prerequisite deployment and execution conditions or variables of the vulnerable system that enable the attack. These differ from security-enhancing techniques/technologies (ref Attack Complexity) as the primary purpose of these conditions is not to explicitly mitigate attacks, but rather, emerge naturally as a consequence of the deployment and execution of the vulnerable system.
Privileges Required: This metric describes the level of privileges an attacker must possess prior to successfully exploiting the vulnerability. The method by which the attacker obtains privileged credentials prior to the attack (e.g., free trial accounts), is outside the scope of this metric. Generally, self-service provisioned accounts do not constitute a privilege requirement if the attacker can grant themselves privileges as part of the attack.
User interaction: This metric captures the requirement for a human user, other than the attacker, to participate in the successful compromise of the vulnerable system. This metric determines whether the vulnerability can be exploited solely at the will of the attacker, or whether a separate user (or user-initiated process) must participate in some manner.
Vulnerable System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the VULNERABLE SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the VULNERABLE SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
Subsequent System Impact Metrics
Confidentiality: This metric measures the impact to the confidentiality of the information managed by the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM due to a successfully exploited vulnerability. Confidentiality refers to limiting information access and disclosure to only authorized users, as well as preventing access by, or disclosure to, unauthorized ones.
Integrity: This metric measures the impact to integrity of a successfully exploited vulnerability. Integrity refers to the trustworthiness and veracity of information. Integrity of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM is impacted when an attacker makes unauthorized modification of system data. Integrity is also impacted when a system user can repudiate critical actions taken in the context of the system (e.g. due to insufficient logging).
Availability: This metric measures the impact to the availability of the SUBSEQUENT SYSTEM resulting from a successfully exploited vulnerability. While the Confidentiality and Integrity impact metrics apply to the loss of confidentiality or integrity of data (e.g., information, files) used by the system, this metric refers to the loss of availability of the impacted system itself, such as a networked service (e.g., web, database, email). Since availability refers to the accessibility of information resources, attacks that consume network bandwidth, processor cycles, or disk space all impact the availability of a system.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N/E:P

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(23rd percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2025-27136

GHSA ID

GHSA-g6wm-2v64-wq36

Source code

Credits

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