---
title: "CVE-2025-54988: Apache Tika XXE Vulnerability via Crafted XFA File Inside a PDF"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-54988/
description: "CVE-2025-54988 (org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven)): Critical XXE in Apache Tika (tika-parser-pdf-module) in Apache Tika 1.13 through and…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2025-08-20
date_modified: 2026-02-26
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2025-54988"
kev: false
cvss: 9.3
epss: 0.47948
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2025-54988: Apache Tika XXE Vulnerability via Crafted XFA File Inside a PDF

**Signal:** High exploit likelihood. EPSS ranks it in the top 5% of all CVEs for likely exploitation in the next 30 days. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- Not in CISA KEV , but CISA’s SSVC assessment records a public proof-of-concept, so attack code exists.
- EPSS 47.9% , percentile 99: FIRST’s model estimates a 47.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 99% of all scored CVEs (very high). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module (Maven) >= 1.13, < 3.2.2, fixed in 3.2.2 ; org.apache.tika:tika-parsers (Maven) >= 1.13, < 2.0.0-ALPHA, fixed in 2.0.0-ALPHA . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

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. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 3.2.2, which fixes this issue.

## Affected packages

- Maven `org.apache.tika:tika-parser-pdf-module` >= 1.13, < 3.2.2 → fixed: 3.2.2
- Maven `org.apache.tika:tika-parsers` >= 1.13, < 2.0.0-ALPHA → fixed: 2.0.0-ALPHA

## Affected products (CVE record)

- Apache Software Foundation Apache Tika PDF parser module: 1.13 <= 3.2.1

## Severity

- apache CVSS 3.1: 8.4 `CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- CISA-ADP CVSS 3.1: 9.8 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
- GitHub CVSS 4.0: 9.3 `CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation poc , automatable no , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 47.95% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 99.

## Sources

- [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org/thread/8xn3rqy6kz5b3l1t83kcofkw0w4mmj1w)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-p72g-pv48-7w9x](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-p72g-pv48-7w9x)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2025-54988](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-54988)
- [NVD entry CVE-2025-54988](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-54988)
- [lists.debian.org](https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00030.html)
- [openwall.com](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/08/20/2)
- [openwall.com](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2025/08/20/3)
- [github.com](https://github.com/apache/tika/pull/2291)
- [github.com](https://github.com/apache/tika/commit/2b52257304f4d3cde2b8463657380bdb936d9ef2)
- [archive.apache.org](https://archive.apache.org/dist/tika/3.2.2/CHANGES-3.2.2.txt)
- [issues.apache.org](https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/TIKA-4459)
- [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org/thread/stn9oh7rfn9yv76n1srxr9w56oy04p72)

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Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2025-54988/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt