EUVD-2026-97679
GHSA-xppm-xgg9-r2gq
Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessReach SAML endpoint over network
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DeliveryCraft SAML message with external entity
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ExploitServer resolves external DTD/entity
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ExecutionRead local files or reach internal hosts
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ImpactExfiltrate disclosed data
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A02:2025 - Security Misconfiguration
ASVS 5.0
V13 - Configuration XML external entity prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires that the MarkLogic Server 11.x (before 11.3.7) instance be configured to use SAML single sign-on, because the vulnerable code path is the SAML parser's handling of external DTDs/entities - SAML must be enabled for the parser to process attacker-supplied SAML messages. When SAML SSO is in use, the CVSS vector indicates remote, unauthenticated exploitation with no user interaction, since SAML assertion parsing occurs during the authentication exchange. LIMITING FACTORS: instances not configured for SAML authentication are not exploitable via this path; impact is limited to confidentiality (file disclosure / SSRF-style internal network access) with no integrity or availability impact per the vector; only 11.x releases before 11.3.7 are affected. |
| Impact | This is a genuine but conditional priority rather than a drop-everything emergency. The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, base 7.5) describes a network-reachable, unauthenticated, low-complexity flaw with high confidentiality impact and no integrity or availability impact - consistent with a classic XXE (CWE-611) yielding file disclosure and/or SSRF ('unintended network access'). However, the raw vector understates an important real-world gate: the vulnerable code path is the SAML parser, so exploitation is only reachable when SAML single sign-on is actually configured on the MarkLogic Server instance, which is a non-default, deployment-specific condition the CVSS score does not capture. No EPSS score was supplied in the input, so exploitation probability cannot be quantified here. There is no CISA KEV listing and no public exploit referenced, so there is no evidence of active exploitation or available weaponization. Net: treat as a high-priority patch for environments that have SAML SSO enabled (where it is effectively remote and unauthenticated), and as a lower operational priority for instances not using SAML. The main uncertainty is whether 'unauthenticated' holds in practice - PR:N is plausible because SAML assertion parsing occurs during the authentication handshake, but verify with the vendor advisory. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker interacting with a MarkLogic Server configured for SAML SSO submits a crafted SAML message (e.g., an authentication response or assertion) containing an external DTD or external entity reference. The vulnerable SAML parser resolves the external entity, causing the server to read local files or make outbound requests to attacker-chosen internal hosts, disclosing file contents or internal network information. No public exploit code is referenced at the time of analysis; the attack requires no authentication or user interaction per the CVSS vector but does require the SAML feature to be in use. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 12, 2026
XML external entity (XXE) processing in Progress MarkLogic Server 11.x before 11.3.7 allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to disclose local files or trigger outbound network requests from the server through attacker-supplied SAML messages. Exploitation is conditional: the instance must be configured to use SAML single sign-on, since only the SAML parser's handling of external DTDs and entities is affected, and the impact is limited to confidentiality (C:H, no integrity or availability impact, CVSS 7.5). No public exploit code and no confirmed active exploitation have been identified at time of analysis, so this represents a genuine but conditional priority - patching matters most for deployments that have SAML SSO enabled and exposed to untrusted networks.
RemediationAI
The primary fix is to upgrade to Progress MarkLogic Server 11.3.7 or later, which is the vendor-released patch version referenced by the affected-range statement in the advisory (https://community.progress.com/s/article/Marklogic-Critical-Security-Alert-Bulletin-October-2026); confirm the exact target build and any backports for prior 11.x maintenance lines with Progress support before scheduling the upgrade, and re-validate SAML SSO flows after patching since parser hardening can surface previously tolerated malformed SAML payloads. If upgrading cannot be completed promptly, the highest-value compensating control is to confirm whether SAML SSO is actually in use - instances without SAML enabled are not exploitable through this path, and for those the residual risk is low. For deployments that must keep SAML enabled short-term, restrict network access to the SAML assertion consumer endpoint to trusted identity provider addresses only, and enforce strict outbound egress filtering from MarkLogic hosts so that a successful XXE cannot reach internal services or exfiltrate file content; the trade-off is that egress filtering can break legitimate integrations and internal callbacks, requiring an allowlist. Where the SAML XML parsing configuration is administrable, disable DTD processing and external entity resolution (equivalent to disallow-doctype-decl and disabling external general/parameter entities) - this blocks the attack but may reject legitimate SAML assertions that include DOCTYPE declarations, so test against the real IdP first. Temporarily disabling SAML SSO entirely and falling back to local or LDAP authentication removes the exposed code path at the cost of losing federated single sign-on and forcing credential redistribution or re-enrollment. Monitor for anomalous file read or outbound connection activity originating from MarkLogic processes as a detection measure while remediation is pending.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is a classic XML External Entity (XXE) injection, CWE-611, rooted in the SAML parser configuration used by MarkLogic Server. SAML is an XML-based authentication standard in which an identity provider sends XML assertions to a service provider; MarkLogic acts as a SAML service provider, so its XML parser consumes attacker-influenced SAML XML during the authentication exchange. If the underlying XML parser is not hardened against DTD processing and external entity resolution (for example, it allows DOCTYPE declarations, external general/parameter entities, or external DTD loading), an attacker can craft a SAML message containing a malicious entity reference. The parser then resolves that entity, which can read a local file through a file:// URL and reflect it back, or perform an SSRF-style request to an internal host - matching the assessment's confidentiality-only impact and the C:H/I:N/A:N vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U). The CPE string cpe:2.3:a:progress_software_corporation:marklogic_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* confirms the affected product is Progress MarkLogic Server, with the vulnerable window defined by the vendor as 11.x releases prior to 11.3.7. Notably, the CVE description frames this as a parser configuration weakness rather than faulty SAML protocol logic, so the fix is expected to harden entity/DTD handling in the SAML parsing path rather than change authentication semantics.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
SAML assertion parsing occurs pre-authentication over the network (PR:N, AV:N, UI:N); XXE yields file/SSRF disclosure (C:H) with no integrity or availability impact; the SAML-enabled requirement is a deployment gate, not a complexity or privilege factor.
Primary rating from Vendor (ProgressSoftware).
CVSS VectorVendor: ProgressSoftware
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Affected Progress MarkLogic Server 11.x releases before 11.3.7 use a SAML parser configuration that can process external DTDs or entities, which could result in unintended network access or information disclosure.
Executive ViewAI
Progress MarkLogic Server 11.x deployments that have SAML single sign-on enabled are exposed to a high-severity flaw in which a crafted SAML message could cause the server to read and return local files or to make outbound network requests to systems of the attacker's choosing. MarkLogic instances typically hold regulated or business-critical data, and their configuration files often contain credentials and connection strings, so a successful attack could expose sensitive information and give an external party a path toward internal services. There is no vendor patch identified and no public exploit code at time of analysis, making this a conditional but genuine exposure concentrated in internet-reachable, SAML-enabled deployments.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: disable SAML SSO where it is not operationally required; restrict SAML endpoints to trusted identity-provider networks only; block DOCTYPE and ENTITY declarations in SAML payloads at the WAF or reverse proxy; enforce outbound egress filtering with alerting to prevent attacker-directed network requests; monitor and alert on SAML parsing errors, unexpected file reads, and anomalous outbound connections; upgrade to the fixed 11.3.7 release (or later) as soon as Progress confirms availability.
Threat Intelligence Overview
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
XML External Entity (XXE) attacks exploit XML parsers that process Document Type Definitions (DTDs) without proper restrictions.
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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